Kazakhstan completely abolishes death penalty

By Zehra Nur Duz

ANKARA (AA) - Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev on Wednesday signed a bill, completely abolishing the death penalty in the country, the presidency said in a statement.

Last week, Kazakhstan’s parliament had passed the bill that would abolish capital punishment, a move that would mark a significant policy change for the Central Asian country, according to local reports.

The law completely excluded the death penalty from the country’s Criminal Code.

On Jan. 2, 2021, Tokayev signed a decree ratifying the UN’s Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.