ASTANA, Kazakhstan, December 3. Kazakhstan has introduced a new law that puts the hammer down on wearing face-covering clothing, like the niqab, in public spaces, Trend reports via the country's Mazhilis (lower house of parliament).
A warning will be handed out for a first offense, and a fine of 10 MCI (a specific monetary unit used in Kazakhstan for calculating pensions, social benefits, taxes, and fines) will be slapped on for a repeat violation.
This was reflected in the Law on Preventing Offenses, which was approved by the Mazhilis (lower house of the Parliament) in the second reading.
The amendments to the Code of Administrative Offenses bring in a broader system for preventing offenses, doubling the number of responsible entities from 13 to 26. The list now includes family support centers, mobile groups, child protection services, media organizations, youth structures, government bodies, and businesses.
The law also modifies the prevention strategy, integrating general, individual, and specialized efforts. The modifications also pertain to the accountability for disseminating illegal content and for deliberately disregarding directives from governmental authorities to rectify the underlying causes of violations.
Furthermore, new regulations mandate that government officials and public entities be held accountable for neglecting to execute civil protection measures aimed at preventing natural and man-made disasters.
The nation's Ministry of Emergency Situations has been granted the authority to implement these penalties.
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