Kazakhstan Tightens Penalties for Violence Against Medics

Kazakhstan’s Mazhilis, the lower house of parliament, has approved amendments to the Criminal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code aimed at strengthening responsibility for acts of violence and threats directed at medical personnel while they are performing their professional duties.

The measures apply to doctors, paramedics, ambulance drivers, and other healthcare workers, The Caspian Post reports, citing The Times of Central Asia.

The amendments introduce a new article that establishes specific criminal liability for actions that pose a threat to the life, health, or safety of medical workers. The legislation also clearly outlines punishments depending on the seriousness of the offense committed.

Under the new provisions, penalties for making threats of violence against medical personnel include a fine ranging from 200 to 500 monthly calculation indices (MCI), with one MCI currently set at $7.66. Alternative punishments may include corrective labor in an equivalent amount, community service for up to 300 hours, or restriction or deprivation of liberty for a period of up to two years.

If the threats occur under aggravating circumstances, the punishment increases to 2-3 years of restricted freedom or imprisonment.

For acts of violence not posing a risk to life or health, penalties include:

• A fine of 500 to 1,000 MCI;
• Or corrective labor;
• Or community service for up to 600 hours;
• Or restriction or deprivation of liberty for 2-3 years.

The most serious offenses, violence that endangers life or health, carry prison sentences of 5 to 10 years. If aggravating factors are present, the term increases to 7 to 12 years.

The amendments also clarify the jurisdiction of internal affairs bodies, granting them authority to conduct preliminary investigations and inquiries into cases involving attacks on medical workers.

According to the Ministry of Health, more than 280 assaults on healthcare personnel have been recorded in Kazakhstan since 2019.

In tandem with the legal changes, the government is expanding protective measures. Round-the-clock police posts have been established at 152 hospitals nationwide. In Astana and Almaty, a pilot project has equipped 10 ambulance teams with smart video badges. The Ministry of Health reports that these devices have helped reduce conflicts with patients by 90%.