Photo: ulysmedia.kz.
The Mazhilis (lower house of parliament) of Kazakhstan has passed in its second reading the law “On the Prevention of Offenses,” which introduces penalties for wearing niqabs in public, reports KazInform.
The law amends the Code of Administrative Offenses. First-time appearances in public wearing face-covering clothing will result in a warning, while repeat offenses will incur a fine of 10 MRP (minimum calculation units, about 40,000 tenge or $80).
The document will now go to the Senate (upper house), and if the amendments are approved, it will be sent to the president for signature.
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a law last summer banning face-covering clothing in public. Although the original document did not specify which types of clothing were included, it quickly became clear that alongside masks and balaclavas, religious garments fully covering the face—specifically the niqab—were also prohibited. The debate over banning niqabs in Kazakhstan has been ongoing for several years.
In March 2024, Tokayev described niqabs as an archaic form of dress imposed on Kazakh women by radical neophytes. According to the president, such clothing represents an “unconcealed challenge” to Kazakhstan’s traditional values.
