Kazakhstan amnesty plan could open prison gates for 1,500 inmates

Around 1,500 inmates in Kazakhstan could be released ahead of schedule under a planned criminal and administrative amnesty that may affect more than 15,000 people, the Interior Ministry said.

The proposed legislation is designed to facilitate the reintegration of offenders who have demonstrated a commitment to leading law-abiding lives, according to Yermek Shulden, Deputy Head of the Ministry's Department of Legal and Legislative Coordination, Caliber.Az reports via Kazakh media.

“The draft law is aimed at creating conditions for the return to society of citizens who have shown their readiness to comply with established norms and lead a law-abiding lifestyle,” Shulden said.

Authorities stressed that the amnesty would not compromise public safety, noting that the measure includes strict eligibility criteria and exclusions.

Under the proposal, individuals convicted of terrorism, extremism, corruption-related offences, crimes committed by organised criminal groups, torture, and sexual offences — particularly those involving minors — would not qualify for release. Repeat offenders would also be excluded from the amnesty.

The initiative follows an announcement by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on 17 March outlining plans for an amnesty covering a range of criminal and administrative offences.

The measure is being introduced to mark the adoption of Kazakhstan’s new Constitution and is expected to become one of the country's largest clemency initiatives in recent years.

By Aghakazim Guliyev