Mazhilis ratifies agr't on transfer of sentenced persons with Iran
"Growing bilateral relations allow more and more Kazakhstanis to travel to Iran for business and tourism purposes. In 2016, 320 citizens of Kazakhstan visited Iran and 2,346 Iranians visited Kazakhstan.
Iran is renowned for its strict governance as it is governed by the Sharia Law. China has the world's stringent capital punishment regime with the greatest number of executions last year. Coming in second is Iran. Presently, there are no Kazakh-born convicts in Iran. However, we cannot guarantee there won't be any in the future. For this reason our country needs legal mechanisms to protect our compatriots abroad," said First Deputy Prosecutor General Iogan Merkel introducing the draft law at the plenary session of the lower chamber of the Kazakh Parliament.
According to Merkel, if a Kazakhstani national is convicted in Iran, he/she or his/her legal representative should contact the Kazakh Prosecutor General's Office seeking transfer to a prison in Kazakhstan.
Kazakhstan and Iran signed the agreement in April 2016 during President Nursultan Nazarbayev's visit to Iran.
Merkel also reminded that Kazakhstan and Iran signed the legal assistance agreement in 1999 and the extradition treaty - in 2012. Iran is the first country in the Persian Gulf to ink the full package of treaties in criminal and legal sphere with Kazakhstan.