Former Kazakhstan minister sentenced to 24 years for wife's torture and murder
- Former Kazakhstan minister Kuandyk Bishimbayev sentenced to 24 years in prison for torturing and murdering his wife.
- The case has sparked calls for harsher penalties for domestic violence in Kazakhstan.
- The country still struggles with issues of domestic violence and gender disparities.
STORY: In Kazakhstan, a former economy minister named Kuandyk Bishimbayev was found guilty of torturing and killing his wife, Saltanat Nukenova. He was sentenced to 24 years in prison by the Supreme Court. The trial was shown live on TV for seven weeks to show that even powerful people are not above the law. EXPLANATION: The trial of Bishimbayev was important because it was a test of the president's promise to protect women's rights. The court showed surveillance footage of Bishimbayev hitting and dragging his wife in a restaurant owned by his family. Despite calling a fortune teller instead of getting help for his dying wife, he claimed she would be fine. When the ambulance arrived 12 hours later, Nukenova was already dead. CONTEXT: This case led to public support for a new law against domestic violence, which was passed by the parliament. Many people in Kazakhstan have experienced violence from their partners, but not all cases are reported. The trial highlighted the need for stronger laws to protect victims of abuse.