Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev signed a death...

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev signed a death penalty moratorium, deputy head of the presidential administration in charge of the state and legal department Igor Rogov said at a briefing in Astana.
"In accordance with the national constitution and the humanization of criminal legislation, the Republic of Kazakhstan has announced a moratorium on the death penalty until the question about its eventual abolition can be resolved," Rogov said citing the presidential ordinance signed by the President on December 17.
He said the ordinance had forced the government to draft corresponding changes in the laws within ten days and, in particular, add a clause on lifetime sentences.
Hands Off Cain, that carried out a pro-moratorium mission to the country in August, welcomed the news and recalled that the various government authorities the HOC delegation met were all favourably inclined towards a gradual lifting of the death penalty. The moratorium was seen as a good step both in terms of EU-Kazakh relations and in order to help the development of a democratic society.
Kazakhstan had in fact assured HOC of its support with regard to an eventual moratorium initiative at the UN General Assembly by the EU or Italy.
HOC feels that this positive development further underlines that the failure to present the moratorium resolution at the GA -because of the apprehension of the Italian government and some EU countries and NGOs -was a wasted opportunity in the fight against the death penalty. It was also evidence of the above-mentioned parties' short-sighted policies with respect to this issue, which prevent them from seeing clearly the abolitionist processes underway, and therefore fail to promote them.