(3 February 2026 | Source: Hronika.kz)
In the Turkestan region, a court found a man guilty of the premeditated murder of his wife and desecration of her body after her death. Before her death, the woman had sought help from the police, reporting a threat to her life, but the call did not receive a timely response. The court highlighted the inaction of the police officers and sent a private directive to the department's leadership.
HOW THE EVENTS UNFOLDED
According to the publication Hronika.kz, the couple had been married since 1990 and lived in the village of Akbulaq in the Sairam district. The case file indicates that there had been ongoing conflicts between them for a long time.
On 19 July 2025, after another argument, the woman left the house and approached neighbours, saying her husband was threatening to kill her. The neighbours called the police. Police officers from the Sairam district ignored the call — they only called back half an hour later, taking no action.
THE MURDER
The man went looking for his wife and found her by a stream on the outskirts of the village. A conflict broke out between the couple, during which the man strangled the woman. Afterwards, he pushed the body into a ravine, later doused it with petrol and set it on fire.
THE COURT DECISION AND POLICE RESPONSE
In court, the victim's husband denied involvement in the murder, claiming he had never raised a hand to his wife. The prosecution presented evidence confirming his guilt.
The court sentenced the man to 11 years and 3 months in prison, to be served in a medium-security correctional colony. The sentence has not yet entered into force.
The judge, Marat Kuzdeubayev, also issued a private directive to the leadership of the Turkestan region police department regarding the inaction of officers, which, in the court's view, led to tragic consequences.
Earlier this year, in Shymkent, for similar inaction, the city police department head, Nurlan Almasbekov, and his first deputy, Kurmanbek Sakhov, were dismissed after the murder of 21-year-old Nuray Serikbai, who had also previously sought protection from law enforcement agencies.