Legislative amendments: Participation in foreign armed conflicts is criminal offence in Kazakhstan

Photo courtesy of tengrinews.kz

Participation in foreign armed conflicts has become a criminal offence in Kazakhstan, Tengrinews reports citing Senator Yermek Zhumabayev. While reviewing the bill on Introducing amendments and changes into the legislations concerning the work of interior affairs authorities, members of the Upper House of the Kazakhstan Parliament, the Senate, made a number of changes in the bill and retuned it to the Lower Chamber, the Majilis, for re-examination. The added a completely new clause to the Criminal Code of Kazakhstan. Clause 162-1 makes participation in foreign armed conflicts punishable with 3 to 7 years of imprisonment. "We have a clause on military mercenary activity in our Criminal Code. It concerns people who participate in foreign armed conflicts for a financial reward. But there are citizens of Kazakhstan who participate in armed conflicts because of their religious beliefs. We are introducing these amendments to bring such cases into the legal framework,” Zhumabayev told Tengrinews at the sidelines of the meeting. It is a new clause, which is different from the armed mercenary clause. Besides, the lawmakers introduced a clause on participation in terrorist and extremist trainings - clause number 233-5. Taking part in terrorist or extremist trainings is now punishable with 3 to 7 years in prison. The legislative reforms were called for partially by the participation of Kazakhstani citizens in the Syrian war that was widely discussed in the society. After the information about the participants was release in the media two more Pavlodar natives attempted to follow the calls to joint Syrian war distributed via the Internet. They were trying to depart to Syria to partake in military actions. Both men were arrested and a criminal case was initiated against them. Now both Pavlodar natives are regretting their choices. Reporting by Altynai Zhumzhumina

Participation in foreign armed conflicts has become a criminal offence in Kazakhstan, Tengrinews reports citing Senator Yermek Zhumabayev. While reviewing the bill on Introducing amendments and changes into the legislations concerning the work of interior affairs authorities, members of the Upper House of the Kazakhstan Parliament, the Senate, made a number of changes in the bill and retuned it to the Lower Chamber, the Majilis, for re-examination. The added a completely new clause to the Criminal Code of Kazakhstan. Clause 162-1 makes participation in foreign armed conflicts punishable with 3 to 7 years of imprisonment. "We have a clause on military mercenary activity in our Criminal Code. It concerns people who participate in foreign armed conflicts for a financial reward. But there are citizens of Kazakhstan who participate in armed conflicts because of their religious beliefs. We are introducing these amendments to bring such cases into the legal framework,” Zhumabayev told Tengrinews at the sidelines of the meeting. It is a new clause, which is different from the armed mercenary clause. Besides, the lawmakers introduced a clause on participation in terrorist and extremist trainings - clause number 233-5. Taking part in terrorist or extremist trainings is now punishable with 3 to 7 years in prison. The legislative reforms were called for partially by the participation of Kazakhstani citizens in the Syrian war that was widely discussed in the society. After the information about the participants was release in the media two more Pavlodar natives attempted to follow the calls to joint Syrian war distributed via the Internet. They were trying to depart to Syria to partake in military actions. Both men were arrested and a criminal case was initiated against them. Now both Pavlodar natives are regretting their choices. Reporting by Altynai Zhumzhumina

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