Kazakhstan May Introduce Criminal Liability for Forced Marriage

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Justice has responded to a proposal from Majilis deputies calling for criminal punishment for bride kidnapping, suggesting an even broader legal measure: the introduction of criminal liability for forced marriage, Orda.kz reports.

Currently, proposed amendments to the Criminal Code focus only on penalizing kidnapping for the purpose of marriage. However, the Ministry argues that this narrow approach fails to address other forms of coercion, such as threats, blackmail, the release of compromising information, or psychological pressure.

Moreover, the Criminal Code already contains provisions on “kidnapping,” which could create legal overlaps and inconsistencies. To resolve this, the Ministry has proposed a new article—125-1: “Coercion to Enter into Marriage” — that explicitly outlines and punishes various forms of pressure used to force someone into marriage, with no reference to kidnapping.

Under the proposal, forced marriage could be punished by: a fine of up to 2,000 MCI (over 7.8 million tenge in 2025), correctional labor for the same amount, restriction of freedom or imprisonment for up to 2 years.

Stricter penalties would apply in aggravated cases, such as when coercion involves violence, targets minors or dependents, is carried out by a group, or involves abuse of official position. In such cases, offenders could face: fines of up to 5,000 MCI, community service of up to 1,200 hours, imprisonment from 3 to 7 years.

If the coercion leads to serious consequences, the sentence could increase to 5 to 10 years in prison.

The Ministry explained that this approach would prevent perpetrators from avoiding accountability simply by releasing the victim if she refuses to marry. However, it allows for the possibility of resolving cases through reconciliation between the parties when appropriate. 

In practice, if the kidnapped woman firmly refuses to marry, the kidnapper often releases her voluntarily, as there’s usually no intent to commit more serious crimes,the Ministry noted. 

Since 2020, 257 criminal cases have been recorded involving the kidnapping of women for forced marriage. That number has declined over time, from 86 cases in 2020 to 30 cases in 2023.

At the end of last year, Majilis Speaker Yerlan Koshanov informed the President that Parliament was preparing amendments to strengthen penalties for bride kidnapping as part of ongoing legal reforms.

Original Author: Nikita Drobny