Obsessive “love” in Kazakhstan may lead to arrest
Tengrinews.kz – Stalking in Kazakhstan may result in arrest. This was discussed during a Senate plenary session, where the draft law "On Amendments and Additions to Certain Legislative Acts on Optimizing Criminal Legislation" was reviewed.
During a Q&A session, Senator Saken Arubaev asked Deputy Prosecutor General Aset Chindaliyev about the appropriateness of introducing a separate article on stalking in the Criminal Code.
"As part of the discussed draft law, it is proposed to introduce Article 115-1 into the Criminal Code, which establishes criminal liability for stalking — that is, for obsessive pursuit causing another person to feel fear, anxiety, or discomfort. Although some elements of stalking are already partially covered by existing regulations, how justified is it to introduce it as a separate article? What measures are in place to prevent abuse in the application of this provision?" Arubaev inquired.
Chindaliyev confirmed that Kazakhstan does indeed plan to introduce a dedicated article on stalking.
"Yes, we are introducing criminal liability for stalking. This is when a person persistently bothers another — calling, following, appearing on social media, in the street, interfering with their life. We want to introduce punishment to prevent more serious crimes that may follow such harassment," he explained.
According to the Deputy Prosecutor General, if after stalking someone inflicts serious harm to the victim’s health, their actions will be qualified under multiple articles of the Criminal Code — both under the article on stalking and, for example, Article 106 ("Intentional infliction of serious harm to health").
"All investigative actions will be carried out in full. The investigator’s actions will be overseen by the prosecutor and the court; departmental oversight will also be exercised. Therefore, I believe that all mechanisms are in place to prevent abuse of this article," Chindaliyev added.
Senate Speaker Maulen Ashimbayev asked what punishment is specifically provided for stalking. The Deputy Prosecutor General stated that stalking would carry a fine or arrest for up to 90 days.