Bakhytzhan Baizhanov, the cousin of former Kazakh Economy Minister Kuandyk Bishimbayev, who was convicted of covering up the murder of Saltanat Nukenova, has been released early from prison. A court applied an amnesty act and ordered his immediate release.

According to Baizhanov's lawyer, Gaziz Yntykbaev, at the time of the hearing, the convict had just over three months left to serve. After the court's decision, he left the correctional facility and returned to his family.

Baizhanov had previously attempted to secure early release. In 2024, he filed a petition to reduce his sentence under an amnesty law, but it was denied.

The murder of Saltanat Nukenova occurred on November 9, 2023, at the Gastro Center restaurant in Astana. According to the investigation, Kuandyk Bishimbayev brutally beat his wife for several hours. She died from a closed head injury caused by multiple blows to the head.

During the investigation, it was established that Bishimbayev asked his cousin Baizhanov to delete footage from the restaurant's security cameras. These actions formed the basis of the charge of covering up a serious crime.

In May 2024, Bishimbayev was found guilty of murder with extreme cruelty and sentenced to 24 years in prison. Baizhanov received four years for covering up the crime.

The case sparked widespread public outcry in Kazakhstan. Following Nukenova's murder, the country adopted the so-called "Saltanat Law," which tightened penalties for domestic violence and reinstated criminal liability for battery and minor harm to health in domestic settings.

Source: podrobno.uz