Kazakhstan to present CEDAW report to UN committee in Geneva on October 5-6

September 26, 2026 at 03:00 PM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

Kazakhstan will present its Sixth Periodic Report on women's rights to the UN CEDAW Committee in Geneva on October 5-6. The NeMolchi Foundation has submitted an alternative report to the committee, with data that diverges from the official picture.

Key Facts

In 2025, 87,680 women filed complaints of violence in Kazakhstan, but only 827 cases reached criminal court under articles 108-1 and 109-1 of the Criminal Code — less than 1%.
Up to 96.6% of materials are written off by police under Article 73 of the Code of Administrative Offences, and 49.8% of the 74,300 cases registered under this article in 2025 were subsequently terminated.
In 2024–2025, more than 302 million tenge in fines were collected from domestic abusers under administrative and criminal articles.
The moratorium on criminal arrest for criminal misdemeanours was extended in June 2026 until January 1, 2030, due to a shortage of detention facilities.
Criminal cases have been opened against the heads of the NeMolchi Foundation, their accounts blocked, and over 7,200 donors questioned by police.

Alternative Report

The NeMolchi Foundation submitted an alternative report to the UN CEDAW Committee ahead of Kazakhstan's official review. The report's statistics diverge from the official picture presented by the government. The foundation's data shows that less than 1% of 87,680 complaints of violence in 2025 reached criminal court.

Police Write-offs

Up to 96.6% of materials are written off by police under Article 73 of the Code of Administrative Offences. Of the 74,300 cases registered under this article in 2025, 49.8% were subsequently terminated. Human rights defenders attribute the terminations to the practice of 'reconciliation' between parties and pressure on victims.

Financial Burden

In 2024–2025, over 302 million tenge in fines were collected from domestic abusers under administrative and criminal articles. Since the funds are taken from the overall family budget, the financial punishment is effectively shifted onto the victim and her children.