Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a new law on Monday prohibiting individuals from wearing clothing in public that obscures the face, aligning with a broader regional movement across Central Asia to limit certain Islamic garments.
According to the legislation, garments that “interfere with facial recognition” are now banned in public spaces, with exceptions made for medical needs, extreme weather conditions, and cultural or sporting events.
While the law does not explicitly reference religion or specific religious attire, it is part of a wider set of amendments enacted the same day.
President Tokayev has publicly supported the measure, framing it as a way to promote Kazakh cultural heritage in a country that is both majority-Muslim and a former Soviet republic.
“It is better to wear clothing in our national style than black garments that conceal the face,” Tokayev reportedly stated earlier this year. “Our traditional attire highlights our ethnic identity, and we must actively promote it.”
Other nations in Central Asia have taken similar steps in recent years. In Kyrgyzstan, authorities have patrolled streets to enforce a ban on the niqab, while in Uzbekistan, violating a niqab ban can result in fines exceeding $250. In Tajikistan, President Emomali Rakhmon introduced a public ban on clothing deemed “alien to national culture.
