On May 2, 2024, in the Specialized Interdistrict Court for Criminal Cases of Astana, the court debates on the case of Kuandyk Bishimbaev began. The lawyer representing the victims, Zhanna Urazbakhova, addressed the court.
Zhanna Urazbakhova started her speech by mentioning that Saltanat Nukenova did not even live to see her first wedding anniversary with Bishimbaev, and since their marriage, she had been subjected to systematic beatings.
"This is an unimaginably cruel crime. It is not only about the brutal murder of a young woman but also about indifference, cruelty, and cowardice. We have not one defendant, but two. The second defendant, Baizhanov, is being charged for not helping, not showing the slightest hint of sympathy, holding the hand of the already cold Saltanat, as he claimed, without attempting to save her," said the lawyer representing the victim's side.
She also emphasized that in Bishimbaev's statements, he claimed to be concerned about his wife, but knowing the condition his wife was in, he never once thought of calling for emergency assistance.
"The case of Saltanat has become so resonant not because the defendant is a former minister, but because we have reached a limit. We have reached a point of no return where we can no longer turn a blind eye," Zhanna Urazbakhova continued.
The lawyer reminded that at the end of the judicial investigation, Bishimbaev confessed to unintentional murder.
"He allegedly did not intend to kill. But I want to explain what unintentional killing and intentional murder mean. Causing death unintentionally is when you push someone, and they fall, hit their head on the curb, and accidentally die. The key word is 'accidentally.' (...) What did we see from the video files presented by the prosecution, from the materials of the criminal case, from the witness testimonies, and from the defendant Bishimbaev's phone? We received 27 video files from Bishimbaev's phone. These videos show all the participants in the process. We witnessed how he deliberately inflicted physical harm on Saltanat, and then cynically stated that he 'did not hit her in vital organs and controlled himself.' He even denied that a slap is a blow to the head," the lawyer said.
According to Urazbakhova, Bishimbaev developed indirect intent to kill Saltanat Nukenova when they attended a concert, and he provoked a conflict with her.
"At that moment, he was already contemplating what he would do in his own restaurant. I repeatedly asked all the witnesses, and they all agreed that they considered Bishimbaev the restaurant's manager. It was his territory; he knew that no one would interrupt him from committing his crime. Indeed, dozens of people were questioned in court, but none of them intervened. Malyar, Karlygash, Baizhanov. All the witnesses indifferently witnessed the beatings," she continued.
The lawyer stated that when the defendant Bishimbaev claims he did not inflict physical harm that led to Saltanat's death and that Saltanat died accidentally, he misleads the jury and the court. She also reminded that the description of Saltanat Nukenova's external injuries takes up two and a half pages of computer text.
"No matter how Bishimbaev tries to mislead us all with his eloquent speech, in all the details – the stories about deodorant, interactions with staff, in the messages where he constantly insults Saltanat – the whole picture emerges," she emphasized.
Zhanna Urazbakhova also drew the attention of the jury and judges to the presence of Saltanat's relatives and friends in the courtroom. Since March 27, they had been attending the court proceedings to support each other.
"But not a single friend of Bishimbaev came to the trial. Only once did an aunt come because, in my opinion, Bishimbaev's relatives and friends realize his guilt. In my opinion, the guilt of Bishimbaev and Baizhanov in the committed crime is fully proven by the evidence presented by the prosecution," concluded the lawyer representing the victim's side.
Earlier, the court announced the end of the judicial investigation and the transition to the debates of the parties. Prosecutor Aizhan Aimaganova presented the prosecution's position. Later, Saltanat Nukenova's brother, Aitbek Amangelde, addressed the jury and asked for justice.
At the previous hearing on April 29, 2024, the court debates on the case of Kuandyk Bishimbaev did not start on time as the defendants did not appear in court due to some issues with the escort service. As a result, the debates were postponed from 10:00 to 14:30. Returning from the break, the state prosecutor Sayakhat Nurbekov before the start of the debates requested to resume the judicial investigation to file a motion regarding the qualification of the charges against the second defendant, Bakhytzhan Baizhanov.
