Political Hopeful Arrested for Allegedly Killing Pregnant Wife by Dragging Her with Horse

An influential farmer and aspiring politician has been arrested for allegedly killing his pregnant wife by dragging her behind a horse.

Aizat Zhumanova, 32, was allegedly tied by the wrists with a lasso rope which was fixed to the saddle as the horse galloped in medieval-style torture. Her ribs, skull, lower jaw, fingers, spine, pelvis and legs were fractured.

The mother-of-one’s body was covered in abrasions, cuts, and torn wounds in Balasaz, Kazakhstan.

Her influential husband Aibar Zhanbolat, 32, a horse farm owner and local politician, has been detained on suspicion of killing his wife – he told police she “fell”.

Aizat was brought to hospital in Taldykorgan “in a coma” and died from her appalling injuries 30 minutes after admission, according to the official account.

It was only realised she was pregnant when she underwent a post-mortem.

Her grieving relatives suspect she was dead before reaching the hospital and are demanding there is no official cover up.

It’s believed the couple’s two-year-old daughter may have witnessed her mother’s death.

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“Her jaw was broken, skin torn in places, and her fingers had turned blue.”

She said: “Just like in old execution rituals – she was tied up and dragged until all that was left was a broken frame…”

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Aizat’s sister said: “When we removed her clothes, we couldn’t hold back our tears. My mother fainted immediately. There wasn’t a single uninjured spot on her body. Not one.”

The victim’s aunt Raushan Daurenbekova said: “This was torture. I worked as a medic for 30 years. These injuries couldn’t have come from a fall or a fight. It looked like she was dragged across the ground by a horse. And not for five minutes, but for hours.”

A relative said of the traumatised child: “She doesn’t speak, just holds her head and whispers ‘Mama, mama’ every morning. She’s afraid of shadows, and can’t sleep at night. She saw everything, but cannot speak. She is the only silent witness.”

The relatives accused her “drunk and aggressive” husband of delaying taking her to the hospital while he washed blood from her body and changed her clothes.

Police have detained Zhanbolat on suspicion of killing his wife, but relatives say villagers are scared to testify against Zhanbolat, a candidate for akim, or mayor.

“Aizat’s husband comes from a wealthy and influential family,” said one. “People fear losing their jobs or homes. They fear revenge. So they stay silent.”

They want him to be charged with “murder involving special cruelty” but fear he will face a lesser charge due to his family’s clout.

“This was not ‘negligent death’,” said a relative. “This was torture – intentional and methodical. And then he tried to cover it up. He acted consciously.”

A police source said: “The suspect has been detained, a pre-trial investigation is underway, forensic medical examinations have been ordered, and the case is under special supervision.”

Some 80 women die each year in Kazakhstan from domestic abuse. Around 300 cases are reported each day to police.