Kazakhstan has taken a key step toward strengthening criminal-law cooperation with European states. The Parliament (Kurultai) ratified the bill on accession to the European Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters in two readings, Vlast.kz reported.
As Deputy Prosecutor General Galymzhan Koigeldiyev reported, the country has undergone a quarter-century of diplomatic and legal work to receive an official invitation from the Council of Europe to participate in the document on June 18, 2025.
The Convention, in force since 1959, provides direct access to the procedural mechanisms of leading countries on the continent: from searching bank accounts, conducting searches and examinations to freezing illegally obtained income and summoning witnesses. However, there are certain safeguards: assistance will be denied if the request raises political issues or threatens the sovereignty, security, or public order of the country.
Accession to the 1959 European Convention provides Kazakhstan with a powerful legal tool for locating, freezing, and repatriating assets illegally transferred abroad. Direct access to the justice system of European states expedites the collection of evidence, depriving those involved in transnational crimes of the opportunity to hide capital and evade prosecution in foreign jurisdictions.
Furthermore, successful ratification confirms the compliance of Kazakhstan's legal system with high international standards. This strengthens institutional trust in the country's prosecutor's office and courts, sending a clear signal to foreign investors about the country's reliable legal protection and transparency of the economic environment.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
September 23, 2026