Murder trial seen as test of Kazakh leader's pledge on women's rights

Kazakhstan's former Economy Minister Kuandyk Bishimbayev, charged with beating his wife to death, attends a court hearing in Astana, Kazakhstan April 3, 2024. REUTERS/Turar Kazangapov

ALMATY (Reuters) - The trial of a former government minister charged with beating his wife to death has gripped public attention in Kazakhstan, and some see it as a litmus test of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's promise to build a fairer, more equitable society.

Shocking footage played in the courtroom this week showed Kuandyk Bishimbayev, a former economy minister, repeatedly kicking and punching a slender young woman wearing only a coat and boots, and dragging her around by her hair.