Presenting the new Criminal Code of Kazakhstan to the country's parliament, Kazakh Deputy Prosecutor General Johan Merkel said that the document will punish people caught rumour-mongering, Tengrinews.kz reports.Rumour-mongering is categorized in the code as a grave crime and is punished with up to 12 years of jail. As an example, Merkel reminded that people had been receiving SMS messages on bankruptcy of credit organizations in early 2014 (after the February 11 devaluation of the national currency, the tenge).Another example mentioned by the official were rumours about a broken dam in Taraz. People were fleeing their homes at night, fearing that the area would be submerged.Kazakhstan has administrative punishments for rumour-mongering. False reports are currently punished with a fine.

Presenting the new Criminal Code of Kazakhstan to the country's parliament, Kazakh Deputy Prosecutor General Johan Merkel said that the document will punish people caught rumour-mongering, Tengrinews.kz reports.

Rumour-mongering is categorized in the code as a grave crime and is punished with up to 12 years of jail. As an example, Merkel reminded that people had been receiving SMS messages on bankruptcy of credit organizations in early 2014 (after the February 11 devaluation of the national currency, the tenge).

Another example mentioned by the official were rumours about a broken dam in Taraz. People were fleeing their homes at night, fearing that the area would be submerged.

Kazakhstan has administrative punishments for rumour-mongering. False reports are currently punished with a fine.