Kazakhstan starts procedures to abolish death penalty 

President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at the session of the National Council of Public Trust ordered to start procedures on joining of the country the international protocol on abolishment of death penalty,

The document says that each state joining the protocol "takes all necessary measures to cancel the death penalty within its jurisdiction," RIA Novosti reported.

First Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev in 2003 signed the decree on introduction of the moratorium for death penalty. The decree has terminated the execution of all verdicts on death penalty, but does not ban courts to pass sentences on death penalty. In 2004, a lide sentence has been introduced in the country as an alternative penalty.