Kazakhstan is in shock after Kuandyk Bishimbayev, Saltanat Nukenova's wife, brutally killed her. Bishimbayev was Kazakhstan's former economy minister. According to CCTV footage, witnesses caught Bishimbayev pulling his wife by the hair and hitting her several times. These disturbing details have ignited a national conversation about domestic violence, a long-ignored problem.
A Test Behind the Lens
The trial of Bishimbayev is unprecedented in Kazakhstan. The live-streaming of the first domestic violence case in U.S. history has shocked and angered many. After seeing the shocking video, people in Kazakhstan have had to confront the terrible truth of domestic violence. "Seeing directly what torture looks like changes people's minds," says Brother Nukenova Aitbek Amangeldy.
The defence plan immediately aimed to cast the victim in a negative light. Nukenova's lawyers argued against the medical evidence and claimed that she was violent. The lack of evidence in the security video to support these claims demonstrated the strategy's weakness. Amangeldy expresses the intense pain of knowing that their words are spreading throughout the nation.
The society is undergoing significant changes
It is still mostly men who run Kazakhstan and its neighbour, Russia. Despite significant efforts, progress on issues such as domestic abuse and sexual harassment has been slow. A 2018 UN Women-funded study revealed alarming results: domestic violence claims the lives of about 400 women annually, with many of these deaths going unrecorded. A shocking change happened in Kazakhstan in 2017: they stopped criminalising small physical abuse, just like Russia did. This made women's rights activists very angry.
A Revolutionary Idea: "Saltanat's Law"
People were very angry about Nukenova's death. Over one hundred thousand people signed a petition for "Saltanat's Law," which calls for stricter laws against domestic abuse. The brutality of the crime, along with public pressure, pushed for change. President Tokayev signed the "Saltanat's Law" in April 2024, shortly after the Senate approved it. When someone commits domestic violence, the new law makes it a crime again, adds new crimes like harassing children, and increases the penalties for people who do these things.
Even so, there are still worries. Amangeldy points out that there are no laws against adult abuse and stalking. An expert from Human Rights Watch, Viktoria Kim, points out that the criminal code doesn't use the phrase "domestic violence," saying that adding it would make things simpler.
Someone or something is waking everyone up, but is that enough?
Amangeldy thinks that Kazakh society has hit a turning point, despite the problems. "Raising the issue is already half the solution," he points out. Aigerim Kussainkyzy, a supporter of women's rights, says that lawmakers and regular people are "collectively awakening." Because of the trial, many important people have had to think about how domestic violence affects their own families.
Women are still fighting for their rights
Things will still be difficult moving forward. Even though the rule is a step forward, it will be hard to put into enforcement. Some activists, such as Dina Smailova, who is currently under investigation for fraud, voice their opposition to potential government pressure on their supporters. In order for execution to work, Smailova stresses the importance of fighting corruption and favouritism in the criminal justice system and the courts.
Education and Responsibility in the Future
When it comes to law enforcement, Senate Speaker Maulen Ashimbayev agrees that there needs to be a lot of teaching going on. According to Kim from HRW, Smailova's story is troubling because it seems like it might have political motives. Women's rights activists need real support more than anything else. International pressure may have helped get the new law passed.
A Trial with Lasting Impact
The Bishimbayev hearing is still ongoing, attracting attention from across the country.The case has already forever changed Kazakhstan, even though the decision hasn't come out yet. There has been a lot of talk about it in public, and it has pushed for changes to the law. There is one thing that is clear: Kazakhstan is changing because of Saltanat Nukenova's sad story. The country is still working on its legal system and how it treats women.
Inputs from agencies
Image Source: Multiple agencies
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