Kazakhstan has tightened oversight of decisions to exempt individuals from compulsory military service. Now, such decisions by district and city draft commissions must be reviewed at the regional level. The relevant changes have been made to the rules governing the organization and conduct of conscription, according to the website infohub.kz.
If a draft commission decides to exempt a person from service or military duty, all materials — including the registration card, medical examination results, and consultation reports — will be sent to the regional commission for verification. The regional commission will either confirm the decision or send the conscript for a repeat medical examination. If violations are found, the regional commission can overturn the exemption.
Additionally, regional commissions now have the authority to review complaints from conscripts, monitor the legality of deferments and exemptions, and coordinate the work of district commissions.
Another change concerns conscripts who test positive for drug use. They will be referred for further examination at a specialized clinic.
All decisions by regional draft commissions will now be recorded in the Ministry of Defense's electronic system using digital signatures. Paper protocols will only be used in the event of technical failures.
The decree took effect on July 17, 2026.
Recall that the spring conscription in Kazakhstan was marked by frequent complaints: young people reported being forcibly taken to military enlistment offices. We spoke with a lawyer about the legality of such actions, the rights of conscripts, and how to avoid unscrupulous companies. Details are in the publication's article.