Tokayev signs law that could help Kazakhstan recover illegally transferred assets

Tengrinews.kz – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on Tuesday, October 6, signed a law allowing Kazakhstan to join the European Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters.

“The Head of State has signed the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan ‘On the Ratification of the European Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters.’ The text of the law will be published in the press,” the statement said.

The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe invited Kazakhstan to join the European Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters in the summer of 2025.
At the time, Kazakhstan’s Prosecutor General’s Office said joining the international mechanism would establish a solid legal framework for handling requests for legal assistance involving countries that are parties to the convention, including those that do not have separate bilateral legal assistance agreements with Kazakhstan.
According to the Prosecutor General’s Office, this is particularly important for efforts to recover assets that have been illegally transferred out of Kazakhstan.

“The main purpose of the agreement is to simplify and expedite the provision of legal assistance in criminal cases between countries, including requests related to extradition, the transfer of evidence, the questioning of witnesses and experts, as well as other procedures related to criminal prosecution and defense,” the agency said.

The European Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters is an international treaty governing legal assistance between participating countries in criminal proceedings.
Currently, the convention includes 46 Council of Europe member states, as well as four non-member countries: Israel, South Korea, Mongolia and Chile.