Family of Kazakhstan’s founding leader to no longer have legal immunity

ISTANBUL

Kazakhstan on Wednesday lifted the legal immunity of its founding president’s family, according to the country’s presidential press service.

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a bill annulling a law that included immunity for the family of his predecessor Nursultan Nazarbayev, reported the service, Akorda.

The move stops short of ending the immunity of Nazarbayev himself, which is enshrined in the Central Asian country’s Constitution. It came after a decision by the Kazakh Constitutional Court on Jan. 11 to annul the legislation, officially known as the law “On the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan – Elbasy.”

A statement by the Constitutional Court said it had considered an appeal by certain lawmakers to keep the law, but that preserving it would not be consistent with the country’s current Constitution, introduced in a referendum held on June 5, 2022.​​​​​​​

Nazarbayev resigned from the presidency in 2019 after ruling the country for nearly 30 years.

• Kassym-Jomart Tokayev
• Kazakhstan
• Nursultan Nazarbayev