Brother of Kuandyk Bishimbayev may be released early

Tengrinews.kz - A relative of Kuandyk Bishimbayev — Bakhytzhan Baizhanov — may qualify for amnesty and be released ahead of schedule. His lawyer, Gaziz Yntykbayev, shared this information in an interview with Tengrinews.kz.

Where Baizhanov is serving his sentence

According to the lawyer, Bakhytzhan Baizhanov is serving his sentence at a medium-security facility in Stepnogorsk. His brother, Kuandyk Bishimbayev, is in the same city, but at maximum-security facility No. 5.

“As far as I know, Bishimbayev is in the same city but at a different facility. He is under maximum security, while Baizhanov is in a medium-security prison. These are different institutions located in different parts of the city,” the lawyer explained.

Can Baizhanov be released on parole?

Yntykbayev noted that starting in the summer of 2025, his client will have the right to apply for parole.

“I’m not always in contact with him, so I don’t know for sure whether he has submitted a petition. But so far, the court has not considered any such request,” the lawyer said.

He added that Baizhanov can already request a change in the type of punishment.

“The application is submitted through the prison administration, not directly to the court. First, the facility gathers all necessary documents: his character profile, commendations, certificates. These are then passed to the Stepnogorsk court,” said Yntykbayev.

Does Baizhanov qualify for amnesty?

The lawyer confirmed that Baizhanov does fall under the amnesty law, but he will not be fully released from criminal liability.

“There are two categories: full exemption from criminal liability, and partial, where the sentence is reduced. Baizhanov falls into the second category — his remaining sentence may be reduced by one-third, since the crime is considered serious,” Yntykbayev clarified.

When could he be released?

Baizhanov was convicted of covering up the murder of Saltanat Nukenova, the civil partner of former Minister of National Economy Kuandyk Bishimbayev. In May 2024, he was sentenced to 4 years in prison.

According to Astana police, Baizhanov was arrested on November 12, 2023. From then until July 2024, he was held in a pre-trial detention center, where one day counts as 1.5 days toward the sentence. If he qualifies for amnesty, his term may be reduced by about eight months.

Based on preliminary estimates, Baizhanov could be released as early as October 2026.

Tengrinews.kz also submitted an official inquiry to the Committee of the Penitentiary System of the Ministry of Internal Affairs regarding Baizhanov. The agency responded with a general statement:

“The convict mentioned in the inquiry is serving the sentence assigned by the court in a penal system institution. Other information from personal case files is not subject to disclosure. The convict’s close relatives have been informed of his place of detention.”

Note: On June 11, 2025, the Mazhilis adopted an amnesty law, which could allow thousands of prisoners to be released.

Earlier, the Prosecutor General’s Office responded to whether Kuandyk Bishimbayev himself qualifies for amnesty.