The heartbroken mother of a politician’s murdered wife could not contain her emotions during the court hearing of a case that shocked Kazakhstan.
Saltanat Nukenova, 31, died of brain trauma following a brutal eight-hour attack by her husband Kuandyk Bishimbayev, 44.
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Kazakhstan’s former economy minister was accused of torturing and killing his wife despite attempts to maintain his innocence for several weeks.
He finally admitted in court to hitting his wife and “unintentionally” causing her death last month.
He described the appalling details of the assault, but added: “I was clearly aware that no vital organs should (be injured).”
The former minister continued to deny his guilt over the premeditated murder, saying: “The only thing I want to inform you is that there was no intention or any particular cruelty in this.”
During her testimony, Nukenova’s heartbroken mother screamed: “You were beating her to death for several hours!
“I didn’t see my daughter, I didn’t bury her, I didn’t see her face.
“How did you hit her without special cruelty?”
On the afternoon of November 8, 2023, the politician quarreled with his wife at the Bau restaurant in Astana, owned by his relatives.
Disturbing CCTV footage showed the couple chatting before father-of-four Bishimbayev grabbed his wife by the hair and dragged her out of the shot.
According to Nukenova’s mother, she was tortured for eight hours in one of the VIP cabins where there are no security cameras.
The next day, Bishimbayev left his wife lying in the establishment while he went out to do business.
He called an ambulance only at night when he noticed that his body was cold; At that time, Nukenova had been dead for between 6 and 8 hours.
Medical examinations revealed that the victim died slowly in agony.
According to German broadcaster Deutsche Welle, restaurant staff were prohibited from calling emergency services.
The order was also given to delete the images from the security cameras under the pretext of a technical failure.
In court, the politician claimed that his wife allegedly fell face down into the toilet and hit her head on the floor tiles while intoxicated.
But the medical examination revealed that Nukenova did not have a large amount of alcohol in her body.
His lawyers also attempted to portray Bishimbayev’s wife as prone to jealousy and violence.
This was despite there being no video from the restaurant’s security cameras played in court showing her attacking Bishimbayev.
In addition, the woman’s neck showed signs of strangulation and her body had numerous scratches and bruises.
The court also found 12 videos, recorded by the former minister on his phone on the day of the ordeal, in which he can be heard swearing and insulting the victim.
The judge also published correspondence from Bishimbayev’s phone in which he sent a message to a fortune teller instead of an ambulance to check on Nukenova’s condition as she did not regain consciousness.
According to Nukenova’s brother, Aitben A Mangeldy, his sister was blackmailed by the former politician with intimate videos and made eight attempts to break off the relationship.
PUBLIC OUTRAGE
The trial is the first of its kind to be broadcast online in Kazakhstan and made easily accessible to its 19 million inhabitants.
As a result, Nukenova’s death has garnered national attention, prompting calls for new legislation to address domestic violence.
Tens of thousands of people have signed petitions calling for new laws to hold those responsible for abuses accountable.
Senators have since passed a bill toughening spousal abuse laws, called the “Saltanat Law.”
Nukenova’s brother Aitbek A Mangeldy, a key prosecution witness in the case, said he had no doubt his sister’s tragic fate changed attitudes about domestic violence in Kazakhstan.
“People change their minds when they see firsthand what it looks like when a person is tortured,” he told the Associated Press.
During a court session on April 1, Bishimbayev apologized to Nukenova’s relatives for her death.
“It was always very difficult for me at first to realize his death,” he said, as reported. UN.
“I want to apologize. I don’t expect forgiveness, but it is my responsibility. I realize that it is an irreparable loss and I am complicit in the circumstances.”
Bishimbayev then talked about his life with his murdered wife for almost five hours, without getting to the murder episode.
He then asked the court to postpone the hearing of this episode to the next session, referring to the fact that he was “tired of talking.”
HOW YOU CAN GET HELP:
Women’s Aid has this advice for victims and their families:
- Always keep your phone close.
- Contact charities for help, including the Women’s Aid live chat helpline and services such as SupportLine.
- If you are in danger call 999.
- Familiarize yourself with the Silent Solution, reporting abuse without talking on the phone, instead of dialing “55.”
- Always carry some money with you, including change for a pay phone or bus fare.
- If you suspect your partner is about to attack you, try going to a lower-risk area of the house, for example, where there is an exit and access to a phone.
- Avoid the kitchen and garage, where knives or other weapons are likely to be present. Avoid rooms where you could get trapped, such as the bathroom, or where you could get trapped in a closet or other small space.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support service is open on weekdays and weekends. during the crisis: messageinfo@supportline.org.uk.
Women’s Aid provides a live chat service – available Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm and weekends from 10am to 6pm
You can also call the National Domestic Abuse Helpline free of charge 24 hours a day on 0808 2000 247.
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