“Disturbing CCTV Footage Allegedly Shows Ex-Politician Fatally Attacking Wife in Eight-Hour Assault at Restaurant”
Former Kazakh politician Kuandyk Bishimbayev has been captured on chilling CCTV footage, allegedly beating his wife to death during a horrifying eight-hour assault at a family restaurant, triggering widespread outrage in Kazakhstan.
The victim, 31-year-old Saltanat Nukenova, succumbed to brain trauma inflicted by Bishimbayev hours after the brutal attack in November last year.
Shocking video evidence of the assault has been presented in court, where Bishimbayev, a father-of-four, faces charges of fatally assaulting his wife.
The trial, the first in Kazakhstan to be livestreamed, has galvanized public outcry, with tens of thousands signing petitions demanding harsher penalties for domestic violence.
In response to mounting pressure, the Kazakh Senate approved a bill aimed at toughening spousal abuse laws, subsequently dubbed “Saltanat’s Law” in honor of the victim, which was signed into law by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
Bishimbayev, a former government official under Nursultan Nazarbayev, had previously served jail time for bribery before being granted an early pardon.
Despite initially denying culpability, Bishimbayev confessed in court to assaulting his wife, though he claimed her death was unintentional. His legal team initially contested medical evidence pointing to Nukenova’s cause of death and attempted to portray her as prone to jealousy and violence, despite no evidence supporting such claims from the CCTV footage presented.
The trial has spotlighted the pervasive issue of domestic violence in Kazakhstan, prompting reflection on societal attitudes and legislative reforms.
Like many patriarchal societies, progress on issues such as domestic violence has been slow in Kazakhstan, with hundreds of cases of domestic violence reported annually, and many more going unreported.
Kazakhstan’s new legislation marks a significant step forward, reversing previous laws that decriminalized minor physical assaults and introducing harsher penalties for offenders.
Women’s rights advocates view Bishimbayev’s trial as a pivotal moment in raising awareness and fostering political engagement on issues of gender-based violence, paving the way for broader societal change and accountability.
Author:- Apoorva Arora