Chilling CCTV Video Captures Former Kazakh Minister Beating His Wife to Death

The trial of a former Kazakh minister accused of beating his wife to death has become the topic of debate across the country, with some calling it a litmus test of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s promise to build a society fairer and more equitable.

Saltanat Nukenova, 31, was found dead last November in a restaurant owned by a relative of her husband Kuandyk Bishimbayev, where the couple had spent almost an entire day and the night before. She had been unconscious for hours.

At a recent hearing, the court was shown 8 hours of footage of 44-year-old Kuandyk Bishimbayev, a former Economy Minister, beating his wife Saltanat Nukenova. Surveillance footage shows Bishimbayev repeatedly kicking and punching the 31-year-old at a restaurant owned by his family.

He is then seen dragging her by her hair to a separate room where there were no cameras.

When she tried to escape by hiding in the bathroom, Bishimbayev “broke down the door, pulled her out and continued to beat her,” the prosecutor said during the trial.

“He grabbed her by the neck after dragging her out of the bathroom. That’s when she lost consciousness,” the prosecutor added.

As she lay on the floor, covered in blood, Bishimbayev called a fortune teller, who assured him that his wife would be fine. The ambulance arrived 12 hours later and medical staff pronounced her dead at the scene.

According to the coroner’s report, Saltanat died of brain trauma. One of his nasal bones was broken and there were several bruises on his face, head, arms and hands.

Bishimbayev is accused of torture and murder with extreme violence and faces up to 20 years in prison. The murder trial, which is being broadcast live on social media, has attracted public attention and sparked a debate about gender equality and domestic violence.

Many Kazakhs view Bishimbayev as a typical member of the country’s wealthy ruling elite and fear that even if he is found guilty, he might somehow escape appropriate punishment – as was the case with a previous conviction.

Bishimbayev was arrested in 2017 on bribery charges and sentenced to 10 years in prison, but walked free after less than three years behind bars thanks to an amnesty and parole.