Kazakhstan has ratified the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime. The document will facilitate the faster exchange of electronic evidence and enhance cooperation with foreign law enforcement agencies, El.kz reports, citing the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Following the Convention’s entry into force, the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ Department for Combating Cybercrime will have an additional legal framework for handling cross-border cases. This will cover the exchange of information and electronic evidence, joint investigative activities, and mutual legal assistance.
Department Head Zhandos Süyinbai said that the unit already has the necessary personnel and technical resources. A dedicated area of international cooperation has been in operation since the Department was established in 2024.
According to him, information exchange with foreign counterparts is already taking place. Following ratification, such cooperation will be carried out within the framework of the mechanisms established by the Budapest Convention.
For international cooperation, the Department operates a contact point staffed by duty officers. Personnel are required to have technical expertise and foreign-language proficiency, particularly in English.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs previously reported that direct communication channels and mechanisms for the rapid exchange of information with other countries have already been established to support cybercrime investigations. Kazakhstani law enforcement agencies also participate in joint international operations targeting online fraudsters.
The Budapest Convention was adopted in 2001 and establishes a framework for international cooperation in the investigation of offences involving computer systems and electronic data.
