Life sentence handed to accused in murder of Nurai Serikbay

A court has sentenced Sherkhan Aimakhan to life imprisonment for the brutal murder of Nuray Serikbay, a crime that also involved bride kidnapping and stalking. Judge Sammidin Temiraliev delivered the verdict, sentencing Aimakhan to life in a maximum-security prison for murder committed with extreme cruelty.

Aimakhan was also found guilty of forcing Serikbay into marriage, for which he received a two-year sentence, and stalking, which resulted in 200 hours of community service. The prosecution had previously requested a life sentence for the defendant.

The court also addressed civil damages, partially granting the victim's family's lawsuit. Aimakhan is ordered to pay Nuray's family 25 million tenge for moral damages and 5 million tenge for legal fees. Additional sums, totaling over 3.4 million tenge, were recovered for state payments, procedural costs, and the Victim Compensation Fund.

Prosecutors detailed the timeline of the tragedy, recounting how Aimakhan met Serikbay in the summer of 2025. He allegedly kidnapped her in Almaty that autumn, taking her to the Turkistan region to force marriage. Her brothers, with police assistance, managed to bring her home. Investigators stated Aimakhan then stalked Serikbay, calling her over 154 times in a few days and waiting near her home. On January 11, the events leading to her death unfolded.

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Sherkhan Aimakhan is sentenced to life imprisonment to be served in a maximum-security penal system institution.