KAZAKH MPS PROPOSE INTRODUCING DEATH PENALTY FOR CHILD MURDER

a group of members of the Majlis [lower house] of the Kazakh Parliament said "we think that there is a need to make amendments to Kazakh legislation which would stipulate the death penalty for premeditated murder of children." The written appeal by a group of MPs to Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev was read out by MP Nurtay Sabilyanov at a plenary session of the Majlis. The appeal was drafted by the MPs following a recent incident in Astana where a businessman's family were killed. "In our view, such crimes should be punished through the death penalty. It is an extreme measure, but in this case, it is absolutely justified," the appeal to the head of state says.