Ex-Kazakh minister beats wife to death, CCTV footage shows

THE trial of a former government minister accused of beating his wife to death has captivated public attention in Kazakhstan.

During a recent court hearing, 44-year-old Kuandyk Bishimbayev, who previously served as the economy minister, was shown in surveillance footage beating his wife, Saltanat Nukenova, for eight hours.

As per a report by AP, Saltanat Nukenova, 31, was found dead in November at a restaurant owned by one of her husband's relatives. Kuandyk Bishimbayev, who is accused of torturing and killing her, initially denied any wrongdoing but admitted in court on Wednesday that he had beaten her, claiming her death was “unintentional".

Bishimbayev's lawyers initially challenged medical evidence indicating that Nukenova died from repeated blows to the head. They also show her as prone to jealousy and violence, although none of the security footage from the restaurant played in court showed her attacking Bishimbayev.

A 2018 study supported by UN Women, the United Nations agency for gender equality, revealed that approximately 400 women in Kazakhstan die annually due to domestic violence, with many instances of abuse going unreported.

In 2017, Kazakhstan decriminalized beatings and other acts causing "minor" physical harm, reducing their punishment to fines or brief jail terms.

Days after Saltanat Nukenova's death, her relatives started an online petition calling for the introduction of “Saltanat's Law," aimed at strengthening protection for those at risk of domestic violence. The petition quickly garnered over 150,000 signatures, AP reported.

What is Saltanat's Law?

“Saltanat's Law" refers to a proposed legislation in Kazakhstan aimed at strengthening protections for those at risk of domestic violence. It was named after Saltanat Nukenova, who died as a result of domestic violence and was intended to address gaps in existing laws by introducing more robust measures against domestic abuse.

Although an online petition for “Saltanat's Law" gained significant support, the final version of related legislation did not include all the proposed provisions, leading to criticism that it fell short in areas like legal norms around stalking and harassment.

Furthermore, as the trial of Kuandyk Bishimbayev commenced, more than 5,000 Kazakh citizens wrote to senators advocating for stricter laws on abuse, according to Kazakh media.