Aqtobe Region: Life Sentence Issued in Double Homicide and Hostage Case

A specialized inter-district criminal court in the Aqtobe region has sentenced Sarsenbek Basanov, 38, to life imprisonment for killing two people and the illegal confinement of his former partner, Orda.kz reports.

Basanov was found guilty under three articles of the Criminal Code: the homicide of two individuals with particular cruelty, unlawful deprivation of liberty, and infliction of bodily harm.

The court also ordered him to pay 27 million tenge in moral and material compensation to the victims’ family.

In his final statement, Basanov claimed he had no intention of killing anyone and said he had come to speak with his former partner. He asked the court and the victims’ families for forgiveness.

According to case materials, Basanov met 40-year-old Mira Kaztuganova via social media in July 2023. Their relationship quickly became serious, and they moved in together.

After two months, Basanov became increasingly jealous and once assaulted Kaztuganova. Following her refusal to marry him, he reportedly became resentful.

On the day of the attack, Basanov entered the home of his former partner, where she lived with her mother and stepfather. He concealed himself in the summer kitchen, armed with a knife and tape. His first victim was 67-year-old Zina Shaimagambetova, Kaztuganova’s mother, whom he stabbed more than 20 times before hiding her body in the basement.

Later, when Kaztuganova entered the kitchen, Basanov tied her up, taped her mouth, and held her captive. Her 74-year-old stepfather, Baigali Aliyev, arrived soon after.

Basanov struck him with the blade of an axe and also threw him into the basement. Both elderly victims later died in the hospital from their injuries.

Kaztuganova was rescued by police, alerted by her sister Anar, who reported the family’s sudden silence.

The victims were well-known in the community. Baigali Aliyev was a retired police officer, and Zina Shaimagambetova had worked as a doctor. The couple had been married for seven years.

Relatives of the victims expressed satisfaction with the court’s decision.

Original Author: Elmira Yerzhanova