Ex-Kazakh minister gets 24 years in jail for murdering wife
STORY: Kazakhstan’s former economy minister has been sentenced to 24 years in prison for murdering his wife.
The widely watched trial, broadcast live over seven weeks, was seen by some as a litmus test for the president’s promise to strengthen women’s rights.
Forty-four-year-old Kuandyk Bishimbayev was found guilty of torture and murder by the court.
:: November 9, 2023
CCTV footage captured Bishimbayev arguing with his 31-year-old wife, Saltnat Nukenova, on the night she died.
During the trial, separate footage showed Bishimbayev punching and kicking Nukenova before dragging her by her hair into a room, where she later died.
:: November 9, 2023
Videos found on his phone showed him insulting and humiliating a visibly bruised and bloodied Nukenova over the final hours before she lost consciousness.
Bishimbayev admitted to beating his wife but said some of her injuries were self-inflicted.
He denied torturing or planning to murder her.
Nukenova’s brother spoke after the verdict.
“This prison term was one of the options we expected. Generally, we stop here, this term is enough. In 24 years, he will be 68. It's basically a life sentence.”
The trial has been widely regarded as an attempt by authorities to send a message that members of the elite are no longer above the law.
The case has helped rally public support behind a law criminalizing domestic violence, which parliament passed last month.
Government data show that one in six women in Kazakhstan has experienced violence by a male partner.
