Quandyq Bishimbae Statesman of the Republic of Kazakhstan Date of Birth: 11.04.1980 Country: Kazakhstan

1. Childhood and Early Life
2. Career and Business
3. Arrest and Imprisonment
4. Personal Life
5. Saltanat Nukenbaeva
6. Murder of Wife
7. Kuandyk Bishimbaev Trial

Childhood and Early Life

Kuandyk Valikhanovich Bishimbaev was born on April 11, 1980, in Kyzylorda, Kazakhstan, to Valikhan Bishimbaev, a doctor of technical sciences and member of parliament, and his wife, Almira Nurlybekova. He grew up with his younger sister, Aruzhan. Bishimbaev received his higher education at Kazakh Academy of Management and Taraz State Pedagogical University. He was also a recipient of the Nursultan Nazarbayev Scholarship to pursue his studies at George Washington University in the United States. At the age of 26, he defended his PhD dissertation in economics.

Career and Business

Bishimbaev began his career as a bank manager in 2001. A year later, he briefly worked in the Ministry of Economy and Budget Planning, before holding various managerial positions in business structures. At the age of 25, Bishimbaev returned to the ministry as an advisor to its head.

Bishimbaev's rapid political ascent began from this point forward. He held various positions, including head of the Center for Trade Policy Development, Vice-Minister of Industry and Trade, head of a department in the Presidential Administration, and aide to Nursultan Nazarbayev. He later became Deputy Minister of Trade and Economic Development, served on the board of the Samruk-Kazyna fund, and headed the Baiterek holding.

In February 2016, Bishimbaev ran for parliament, and that spring, he was appointed Minister of National Economy, becoming one of the youngest high-ranking politicians in the country. However, he lost his position eight months later amid a scandal.

Arrest and Imprisonment

In early 2017, Bishimbaev was arrested on charges of bribery and embezzlement while he was head of the Baiterek holding. The former official was accused of creating a criminal scheme during the construction of a glass factory, where his accomplices, under the guise of paying workers' salaries, embezzled $3 million, two-thirds of which went to Bishimbaev. 22 other people were also implicated in the high-profile case.

In the following spring, Bishimbaev was found guilty. He was stripped of his property and awards, permanently banned from holding government positions, and sentenced to 10 years in prison. In an interview, Bishimbaev's father said, "We have a law that must be obeyed. Everyone should adhere to the rule of law. If someone violates the law, they should be held accountable."

Bishimbaev, a native of Kyzylorda, petitioned for a lighter sentence, and his request was granted. In the autumn of 2019, the former minister was released on parole.

Personal Life

Bishimbaev has an adult son, Al-Iskander, from his first marriage. His second wife was Nazym Kakharman (Babagulova). The couple had three children together: sons Mansur and Karim, and daughter Rania. His spouse believed in her husband's innocence and claimed that he was framed on the corruption charges. Shortly after Bishimbaev's release from prison, the couple divorced.

Saltanat Nukenbaeva

Bishimbaev's next partner was Saltanat Nukenbaeva, who was 12 years his junior. Nukenbaeva was an astrologer who had a blog on Instagram. Bishimbaev stumbled upon her photos and began actively pursuing her. Initially, Nukenbaeva declined his advances, but she gave in two months after they met. The couple married in 2022, although the marriage was not legally registered.

The newlyweds appeared to be a happy family and dreamed of having a child. However, Nukenbaeva confided in her friends about difficulties in her personal life, claiming that her husband was physically abusive, forbade her from working, restricted her finances, and was excessively jealous, monitoring her whereabouts 24/7. She left him several times and rented an apartment but eventually forgave him and returned.

Murder of Wife

In the autumn of 2023, Kazakhstan was shaken by the gruesome death of Saltanat Nukenbaeva. She and her husband were having a dinner at a VIP booth in a restaurant in Astana when an argument broke out between them. Bishimbaev began to beat his wife.

On the morning of November 9, the former minister called his cousin, Bakhytzhan Bayzhanov, and asked him to come to the establishment immediately. According to the relative, Nukenbaeva was snoring heavily, and her spouse informed him that she was sleeping and covered her with two blankets brought by his brother. Later, Bishimbaev instructed his relative to bring medication and erase the footage from the surveillance cameras. After lunch, the snoring stopped. The former official's brother found Nukenbaeva's pulse gone and called an ambulance.

Arriving paramedics pronounced Nukenbaeva dead from multiple blunt force injuries to the head and body. She was buried in Pavlodar on November 11. Friends of the deceased revealed that "There are many rumors spreading on social media. She was not pregnant or planning to divorce. They wrote that she cheated, that she was with another man, that she got divorced and married someone else, that this was supposedly her second marriage... None of that is true. She married once and for all and was his wife."

Before his arrest, Bishimbaev threatened to cut himself with a knife. He was detained on suspicion of murdering his wife, Saltanat. The director of the restaurant where the incident occurred was also taken into custody.

Kuandyk Bishimbaev Trial

In February 2024, the criminal case was referred to court. Bishimbaev was accused under two articles of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan: "Torture" and "Murder with Particular Cruelty." The first hearing of the case took place in March, where the prosecutor presented the position of the state prosecution.

According to the results of the investigation, it was established that throughout the duration of their relationship, the victim was subjected to psychological and physical abuse. Her husband forbade her from working, which also made her financially dependent. Bishimbaev tormented his common-law wife with jealousy, often beat her, and blackmailed her with existing intimate videos. The latter had been filmed after Saltanat sent her brother a photo showing visible bruises. In this way, Bishimbaev managed to silence her.

Bishimbaev denied his guilt and demanded an open trial with a jury. The defense insisted on the reclassification of the charges. Bishimbaev's lawyers (Leyla Maza