Summary
In 1997, Kazakhstan enacted a penal code that lists ecocide as a crime. Article 161 of Kazakhstan 1997 penal code states, “Mass destruction of plant or animal world, poisoning the atmosphere, land or water resources, and also the commission of other offenses, caused or able to cause ecological disaster are punished with the deprivation of liberty for a period of 10 to 15 years.” The code was amended several times. Although its language changed slightly, Kazakhstan’s article on ecocide remains.