Kazakhstan's new cassation courts overturn 381 rulings in first year

September 26, 2026 at 02:00 PM2 min

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Kazakhstan's new cassation courts reviewed 1,320 criminal cases involving 1,717 people in their first year, overturning or modifying nearly a third of rulings. The Prosecutor General's Office reported 15 full acquittals and improved outcomes for 182 convicts following prosecutorial protests. The overhaul, launched July 1, 2025, doubled the number of reviewed criminal cases.

Key Facts

Kazakhstan's cassation courts reviewed 1,320 criminal cases involving 1,717 people in the year since the new system launched on July 1, 2025.
Nearly one-third of reviewed judicial acts were overturned or modified, including 15 full acquittals and improved outcomes for 182 convicts following prosecutorial protests.
The Prosecutor General's Office filed 17 protests concerning confiscation of criminal proceeds, recovering 2.8 billion tenge in one illegal gambling case.
In eight cases involving crimes against sexual inviolability of minors, prosecutors argued for harsher qualification, leading to one life sentence after retrial.

Cassation Reform

The new cassation system began operating in Kazakhstan on July 1, 2025, introducing continuous cassation without preliminary judicial filtering. The Prosecutor General's Office reported that the number of reviewed criminal cases doubled after the launch of the new model. Prosecutors at the cassation stage are not obliged to automatically support the position of lower-level colleagues and must independently assess the legality and validity of judicial decisions.

Case Outcomes

Following complaints from participants, cassation courts overturned or modified judicial acts concerning 381 people, including 10 full acquittals and 15 partial acquittals. Prosecutorial protests led to improved outcomes for 182 convicts, with five fully acquitted. In some cases, charges were reclassified to less serious offenses, sentences were reduced, milder punishments were imposed, additional sanctions were lifted, correctional facility types were changed, and recidivism was excluded. Two rulings were overturned due to violations of the right to defense: one trial proceeded without the defendant who was serving a sentence elsewhere, and another restricted the defense counsel's participation in arguments in a minor's case.

Prosecutorial Protests

The Prosecutor General's Office identified eight cases where actions of defendants in crimes against sexual inviolability of minors were qualified more leniently than warranted. Judicial acts were overturned on prosecutorial protests and cases were sent for new consideration. In one case, a man convicted of corrupting a nine-year-old girl had his previous judicial acts overturned; upon retrial, his actions were reclassified as violent sexual acts and he was sentenced to life imprisonment. The prosecutor's office filed 17 protests regarding recovery of funds to the state, including one case where 2.8 billion tenge from an illegal gambling business was recovered.