Kazakhstan has joined the international protocol on the abolition of the death penalty

24 September 2020

 

Permanent Representative of Kazakhstan to the UN Kairat Umarov signed the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,  aiming at the abolition of the death penalty, the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic reports.


"In December 2019, the President of Kazakhstan, as part of the implementation of political reforms in the country, instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to start the procedure for joining the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The signing of this international document is a continuation of the policy of gradually narrowing the scope of the death penalty and humanizing criminal legislation," the statement of the Foreign Ministry reads.


The decision to join the international protocol on the abolition of the death penalty was announced yesterday by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in his video speech at the General political debate of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly. As he noted, the Kazakh side is committed to the realization of the fundamental right to life and human dignity.


Since 2003, Kazakhstan has had a moratorium on the use of the death penalty.

 

GSV "Russia - Islamic World"

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Based on materials TASS