The trial of businessman Kuandyk Bishimbayev, Kazakhstan’s former economy minister, in the death of his wife, Saltanat Nukenova, has touched a nerve in the Central Asian country. Tens of thousands of people have signed petitions calling for harsher penalties for domestic violence.
This high-profile murder trial has sparked conversations about domestic abuse and is being considered a litmus test of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s commitment to creating a more just and equitable society, including bettering women’s rights.
Ehemaliger Wirtschaftsminister steht in Kasachstan vor Gericht
Dem Ex-Minister wird die brutale Ermordung und Folterung seiner Frau Saltanat Nukenova vorgeworfen. pic.twitter.com/MrNOQusAUo
— Siegfried 💙💛💩Brandenburg gegen Nazis💩 (@Siegfri41835106) April 4, 2024
In November, Saltanat Nukenova, aged 31, was discovered dead within a restaurant owned by one of her husband Kuandyk Bishimbayev’s relatives. After spending almost an entire day and the previous night there, she was found unconscious. Tragically, she succumbed to brain trauma hours after the violent attack.
During a recent court hearing, surveillance footage revealed the disturbing scene of 44-year-old Kuandyk Bishimbayev, a former economy minister in Kazakhstan, repeatedly beating his 31-year-old wife, Saltanat Nukenova, for eight hours. The incident occurred at a restaurant owned by Bishimbayev’s family.
🇰🇿Former minister Kuandyk Bishimbayev from Kazakhstan went on trial for murdering his wife, Saltanat Nukenova.
On the left, the state prosecutor shows the size of a fatal hematoma in the skull (70 ml); on the right, the size of the hematoma of the young woman.
According to the… pic.twitter.com/OvyD73ScC6
— Attentive Media (@AttentiveCEE) May 3, 2024
Subsequently, he forcibly pulled her by the hair into a different room, away from the surveillance cameras.
While attempting to escape, she sought refuge in the restroom. However, Bishimbayev forcibly broke down the door, dragged her out, and persisted in assaulting her—as recounted by the prosecutor during the trial.
This distressing incident sheds light on the severity of domestic violence and the urgent need for stronger protections against it.
He grabbed her by the throat after dragging her out of the toilet. This is when she lost consciousness,” the prosecutor added.
After she lay on the floor, her body drenched in blood, Bishimbayev contacted a fortune-teller who falsely reassured him that his wife would recover. Shockingly, it took 12 hours for the ambulance to arrive, and tragically, the medical team pronounced her dead at the scene.
The coroner’s report indicated that Saltanat suffered from brain trauma. Additionally, she had a broken nasal bone and several bruises on her face, head, arms, and hands.
Bishimbayev, a former Minister of Kazakhstan, has been accused of torture and murder with extreme violence.
He could face up to 20 years in prison. The ongoing murder trial is being broadcast live on social media, capturing widespread public interest and igniting discussions about gender equality and domestic violence.
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