Kazakhstan may abolish capital punishment

Committee for human rights under the directorship of the President of Kazakhstan recommended the Government to ratify the 2nd faculty protocol to the International Covenant for Civil and Political Rights to abolish capital punishment. This was announced at the round-table discussion on the national plan of actions in human rights realm, Interfax – Kazakhstan reports. Tastemir Abishev, Secretary of the Committee, reminded that back in 2003 President Nazarbayev issued an order to introduce indefinite moratorium on capital punishment. An amendment of 21 May 2007 to the Constitution of Kazakhstan abolished the death penalty in all cases save for acts of terrorism entailing loss of life and for especially grave crimes committed in wartime. In September 2007, within the 62nd session of the UN General Assembly, Kazakhstan signed faculty protocols to the International Covenant for Civil and Political Rights and United Nations Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.