By Peter Baunov in Astana A former economy minister of Kazakhstan, Kuandyk Bishimbayev, on May 13 was handed a 24-year prison sentence for the brutal torture and murder of his wife, Saltanat Nukenova, 31, whom he subjected to a horrendous ordeal lasting eight hours. The trial, broadcast live, gripped the nation, with released CCTV footage showing much of the savage assault. It raised the issue of the disturbing level of domestic violence in the country, with perpetrators, frequently people with elite connections and money, often going unpunished. The judge convicted Bishimbayev, 44, of ‘murder…