According to the Kazakhstan bureau of Report, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev approved the relevant amendments to the Code "On Marriage (Matrimony) and Family."

Previously, in Kazakhstan, a prison term of 4 to 5 years was provided for the abduction of women in order to force them to marry.

Amendments to the legislation not only increased the term of punishment, but also expanded the responsibility for all participants in the criminal tradition. Thus, a new article "Forced marriage" has appeared in the Criminal Code. The actions of relatives holding the "bride" are now considered as "a crime committed by a group of people." This is punishable by restriction or imprisonment for a period of 3 to 7 years.

The issue of tougher penalties for "bride kidnapping" has long been raised in Kazakh society. According to experts, since 2019, 214 criminal cases have been initiated in Kazakhstan on the abduction of women, but only 10 of them have reached court.