The issue of improving the national legislation of Kazakhstan on combating torture is one of the most urgent. It must be brought into line with the provisions of the International Convention against Torture and Other Cruel and Inhuman Acts. This statement was made by the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev, in his message to citizens.
As the head of state noted, law enforcement agencies should improve the procedure for investigating such crimes, as well as strengthen the fight against human trafficking.
“They should be severely punished in court. This important task requires the coordinated actions of government agencies. I hope for the speedy adoption of the relevant laws in the Parliament, ”Tokayev said.
At the same time, he called for tougher punishment for pedophiles. According to the president, such people do not have the prerogative of mercy.
“Special attention should be paid to the issues of safety and protection of children’s rights. We have significantly increased the criminal liability for acts of a sexual nature against minors. But the problem remains acute. Such criminals deserve a more severe punishment, without the right of pardon, and especially early release. They should be kept in institutions of maximum security, ”the head of state said.
He also criticized law enforcement agencies. According to Tokayev, an accusatory manner still prevails in the work of the law enforcement system due to the inertia of the past.
“There are frequent cases when citizens are unreasonably involved in the orbit of criminal prosecution. Operational officers who detect crimes and investigators who make procedural decisions work under the same superiors, for whom the main task is to solve the crime and send the case to court. But the rights and freedoms of citizens should not suffer for the sake of rates, ”the president said.
Prosecutors also got it. As Tokayev explained, prosecutorial supervision is often belated, and prosecutors get acquainted with the circumstances of the case only before being sent to court. In this regard, the head of state instructed the government to modernize the criminal sphere following the example of the developed OECD countries.
“We need a model that ensures timely protection of citizens’ rights and meets high international standards. I consider it necessary to introduce in Kazakhstan a three-tier model with a clear division of powers. The police must identify crimes, identify those involved, collect and consolidate evidence. The prosecutor is obliged to give an independent assessment of the collected evidence, to suppress violations of the rights of citizens, to prevent the involvement of conscientious citizens in the criminal process, to support the prosecution in court. The court will consider complaints against the actions of the authorities and issue a final verdict on the case, – Tokayev explained, stressing that legality and justice should be provided to all citizens by default.
The President once again reminded of the need to reform the institutions of the police service on the principle of walking distance police, where the key role is assigned to the district inspector.
“It is important to teach law enforcement officers to conduct an open dialogue with people. This direction should become a priority in the system of training and selection of personnel. Much is said about the development of video surveillance systems, but at the same time, the premises of the law enforcement agencies themselves often remain “blind” zones. I instruct to introduce continuous video surveillance in penitentiary institutions and police offices, ”said the head of state.
Another important area outlined in the message is the insecurity of people on the Internet.
“First of all, children suffer from this. They are especially sensitive to cyberbullying, which, unfortunately, leads to dire consequences. It’s time to take legislative action to protect citizens, especially children, from cyberbullying. We need to strengthen other measures to protect the rights of children, in particular, to accede to the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on a communications procedure, ”the President stressed.
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