The death of a woman in Kazakhstan after being beaten by her husband, a former minister, has sent shockwaves across the world as a video of the incident came to fore, shedding light on the grim domestic abuse issue in the country.
Saltanat Nukenova, 31, was found dead in November in a restaurant owned a relative of her husband, former economy minister Kuandyk Bishimbayev.
Bishimbayev, who was charged with torturing and killing her, for weeks maintained his innocence but admitted Wednesday in court that he had beaten her and “unintentionally” caused her death, according to an Associated Press report.
Bishimbayev's lawyers had initially disputed medical evidence indicating Nukenova died from repeated blows to the head. They also reportedly portrayed her as prone to jealousy and violence, although no video from the restaurant’s security cameras that was played in court has shown her attacking Bishimbayev.
Aitbek Amangeldy, Nukenova’s elder brother and a key prosecution witness, told The Associated Press that he had no doubt his sister’s tragic fate has shifted attitudes about domestic violence.
The CCTV Footage
In the recent hearing, the court was shown an eight-hour-long footage of 44-year-old Kuandyk Bishimbayev beating his wife Saltanat Nukenova. The CCTV footage shows Bishimbayev kicking and punching Nukenova repeatedly in the restaurant owned by his relative.
Bishimbayev can be seen dragging Nukenova by the hair to another room, which had no cameras.
The prosecutor said during the trial that Bishimbayev "broke down the door, pulled her out from the toilet" when she attempted to hide there, "and continued beating her.
"He grabbed her by the throat after dragging her out of the toilet. This is when she lost consciousness," the prosecutor added.
As she lay on the floor in a pool of blood, Bishimbayev dialled a fortune-teller, who assured him his wife would be fine, an NDTV report mentioned. The ambulance arrived 12 hours later and the medical staff declared her dead at the scene.
The Chronic Issue Of Domestic Abuse In Kazakhstan
Domestic violence and abuse is a chronic issue in Kazakhstan with about 400 women dying in the country due to the same each year, as per the United Nations. This figure, however, could very well be higher as some cases go unreported.
In 2017, Kazakhstan decriminalised beatings and other acts causing “minor” physical damage, making them punishable only by fines or short jail terms.
Russia enacted a similar law that year, outraging women’s rights advocates. Kazakhstan’s new law reverses this, increasing penalties for assailants and introducing new criminal offences, including harassment of minors, as per an AP report.
The 'Storm' After Nukenova's Death
“In Kazakhstan, there has been a storm, and now the whole country and even the whole world is involved,” Al Jazeera quoted Dinara Smailova, founder of the women’s rights NGO NeMolchi, which means Don’t Be Silent, as saying.
“We’ve been working with high-profile cases for many years, and we see how people are afraid and ashamed to talk about domestic violence. [But] from the very beginning, the relatives of the victim told what happened with an open face.”
Bishimbayev’s trial is the first in the country of over 19 million people to be streamed online, sparking debates on social media. Many see it as a moment of truth for President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's promises of reforms and making officials accountable.
Bishimbayev trial has touched a nerve in the country as tens of thousands of people have signed petitions calling for harsher penalties for domestic violence.
In another development, senators on April 11 approved a bill toughening spousal abuse laws, and President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed it four days later. It’s been dubbed “Saltanat’s Law” in her honour, the AP report mentioned.
Days after Nukenova’s death, her relatives launched an online petition urging authorities to pass “Saltanat’s Law” to bolster protection for those at risk of domestic violence. It quickly got over 1,50,000 signatures.
