Deputy of the Mazhilis Abzal Kuspan has announced that Kazakhstan is preparing to introduce amendments to the Criminal, Criminal Executive, and Criminal Procedural Codes. These changes have been approved by the working group. Tentatively, the document will be presented for consideration by the chamber next week, with a second reading scheduled for the following week.
Regarding "stalking," it is proposed to classify it as a criminal offense, with penalties in the form of fines.
“We do not intend to impose fines on everyone indiscriminately. The second reading may not pass; it's difficult to discuss (the amount of the fine – ed.), as it could change in either direction during the plenary session, so it's not worth discussing at this stage,” the deputy noted.
According to Kuspan, this approach aims to prevent more serious and particularly grave crimes.
When asked why a harsher punishment was not included in the law from the outset, he replied that it was unnecessary.
“Our task, when we introduce new norms into the Criminal Code, is to do so very cautiously. We need to observe law enforcement practice, investigative practice, and judicial practice, and based on the results of studying and analyzing judicial and investigative practices, we can consider tightening penalties if necessary.
This takes some time. These are people's lives. Decisions cannot be made on a whim,” he believes.
It is worth noting that “stalking” refers to unwanted and intrusive attention towards an individual from another person or group of people. It is a form of harassment and intimidation that typically manifests in the form of following and monitoring the victim.
Typical behaviors of stalkers include persistent phone calls and harassment, sending unwanted gifts, surveillance and spying, obsessive electronic correspondence and online attacks, as well as threats and intimidating actions.