Shocking footage played during the trial that began in March showed Kuandyk Bishimbayev, 44, repeatedly kicking and punching a slender young woman wearing only a coat and boots, and dragging her around by her hair.

The woman, 31-year-old Saltanat Nukenova, was later found dead. Bishimbayev has pleaded not guilty and has argued in court that his wife died from self-sustained injuries.

Bishimbayev, who served as economy minister from May to December 2016, was previously sentenced to 10 years in prison for bribery but walked free after less than three years thanks to an amnesty and parole.

Kazakhstan, an oil-rich nation of 20 million people, has seen numerous other examples of members of the elite getting away with various crimes, a trend that has fed public distrust of the legal system.

Domestic violence has become a hot-button issue in Kazakhstan, where government data show that one in six women has experienced violence by a male partner.