A family walks past the courthouse where the trial of former Economics Minister Kuandyk Bishimbayev is taking place in Astana, Kazakhstan, on Sunday, April 21, 2024. Bishimbayev, charged with killing his wife, Saltanat Nukenova, has touched a nerve in the Central Asian country. Tens of thousands of people have signed petitions calling for harsher penalties for domestic violence, and on April 11, senators approved a bill toughening penalties for spousal abuse, and President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed the measure into law four days later. (AP Photo/Stanislav Filippov)
In this photo released by the Kazakhstan Supreme Court Press Office’s Telegram channel on Friday, April 12, 2024, businessman Kuandyk Bishimbayev, the country’s former economy minister, sits in a defendants’ cage at his trial in Astana, Kazakhstan. Bishimbayev is on trial for killing his wife, Saltanat Nukenova, and the case has touched a nerve in the Central Asian country, with tens of thousands of people signing petitions calling for harsher penalties for domestic violence. On April 11, senators approved a bill toughening penalties for spousal abuse, and President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed the measure into law four days later. (The Kazakhstan Supreme Court Press Office Telegram channel via AP)
This June 2017 photo provided by Aitbek Amangeldy shows a selfie taken by his sister, Saltanat Nukenova, in Astana, Kazakhstan. Her husband, former economics minister Kuandyk Bishimbayev, is standing trial in her November 2023 death – a case that has riveted the Central Asian country and boosted awareness of domestic violence. (Courtesy of Aitbek Amangeldy via AP)
FILE - In this photo released by Kazakhstan's Presidential Press Office, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev addresses parliament in Astana, Kazakhstan, on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024. The trial of businessman Kuandyk Bishimbayev, Kazakhstan's former economy minister, in the death of his wife, Saltanat Nukenova, has touched a nerve in the Central Asian country. Tens of thousands of people have signed petitions calling for harsher penalties for domestic violence. On April 11, senators approved a bill toughening penalties for spousal abuse, and Tokayev signed it into law four days later. (Kazakhstan's Presidential Press Office via AP, File)
FILE - A night view of the capital Astana, Kazakhstan, with the Presidential Palace seen in the center, Monday, Sept. 12, 2022. The trial of businessman Kuandyk Bishimbayev, Kazakhstan's former economy minister, in the death of his wife, Saltanat Nukenova, has touched a nerve in the Central Asian country. Tens of thousands of people have signed petitions calling for harsher penalties for domestic violence. On April 11, senators approved a bill toughening punishment for spousal abuse, and President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed it into law four days later. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File)
People walk in the center of Astana, Kazakhstan, Sunday, April 21, 2024. A high-profile trial involving the killing of Saltanat Nukenova has raised awareness of spousal abuse in the Central Asian country. Businessman and former Economics Minister Kuandyk Bishimbayev is on trial for the killing of Nukenova. Tens of thousands of people have signed petitions calling for harsher penalties for domestic violence. On April 11, senators approved a bill toughening punishment for spousal abuse, and President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed it into law four days later. (AP Photo/Stanislav Filippov)
In this photo released by The Kazakhstan Supreme Court Press Office’s Telegram channel on Friday, April 19, 2024, businessman Kuandyk Bishimbayev, the country’s former economy minister, is escorted into court in Astana, Kazakhstan. The trial of Bishimbayev in the death of his wife, Saltanat Nukenova, has touched a nerve in the Central Asian country. Tens of thousands of people have signed petitions calling for harsher penalties for domestic violence. On April 11, senators approved a bill toughening penalties for spousal abuse, and President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed it into law four days later. (The Kazakhstan Supreme Court Press Office telegram channel via AP)
In this photo released by The Kazakhstan Supreme Court Press Office’s Telegram channel on Friday, April 19, 2024, Aitbek Amangeldy, attends a court session for businessman Kuandyk Bishimbayev, Kazakhstan's former economy minister. Bishimbayev is on trial in the killing of his wife, Saltanat Nukenova, the sister of Amangeldy. The trial has touched a nerve in the Central Asian country. Tens of thousands of people have signed petitions calling for harsher penalties for domestic violence. On April 11, senators approved a bill toughening penalties for spousal abuse, and President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed it into law four days later. (The Kazakhstan Supreme Court Press Office telegram channel via AP)
Two women buy flowers in Astana, Kazakhstan, on Sunday, April 21, 2024. A high-profile trial involving the killing of Saltanat Nukenova has raised awareness of spousal abuse in the Central Asian country. Businessman and former Economics Minister Kuandyk Bishimbayev is on trial for the killing of Nukenova. Tens of thousands of people have signed petitions calling for harsher penalties for domestic violence. On April 11, senators approved a bill toughening punishment for spousal abuse, and President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed it into law four days later. (AP Photo/Stanislav Filippov)
In this photo released by The Kazakhstan Supreme Court Press Office’s Telegram channel on Friday, April 19, 2024, businessman Kuandyk Bishimbayev, the country's former economy minister, sits in a defendants’ cage in court in Astana, Kazakhstan. Bishimbayev is on trial in the killing of his wife, Saltanat Nukenova. The case has touched a nerve in the Central Asian country. Tens of thousands of people have signed petitions calling for harsher penalties for domestic violence. On April 11, senators approved a bill toughening the punishment for spousal abuse, and President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed it into law four days later. (The Kazakhstan Supreme Court Press Office telegram channel via AP)
In this photo released by The Kazakhstan Supreme Court Press Office’s Telegram channel on Friday, April 19, 2024, Aitbek Amangeldy, second right, attends a court session for businessman Kuandyk Bishimbayev, Kazakhstan's former economy minister. Bishimbayev is on trial in the killing of his wife, Saltanat Nukenova, the sister of Amangeldy. The trial has touched a nerve in the Central Asian country. Tens of thousands of people have signed petitions calling for harsher penalties for domestic violence. On April 11, senators approved a bill toughening penalties for spousal abuse, and President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed it into law four days later. (The Kazakhstan Supreme Court Press Office telegram channel via AP)