Extradition agreement needed, says expert

KUALA LUMPUR: It will not be easy to get North Korea to extradite four men sought by police in the Kim Jong-nam murder case.

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Institute of Malaysian and International Studies senior fellow and deputy director Associate Professor Dr Sufian Jusoh yesterday told the New Straits

Times that Malaysia would need to have an extradition agreement with North Korea.

“If we have foreign suspects and they have gone back to their country of origin, we need to bring them back to our country, but first there must be an extradition agreement with that country.

“Without an extradition agreement, we have no right to bring them back.”

Sufian said an extradition was a government-to-government process, which involved the attorney-general, courts and the Foreign Ministry of both countries.

Police only come into the picture when the suspects have arrived in the country where the crime was committed.

“Without an extradition agreement, we can ask the other government to extradite the suspects, but they can refuse to do so if they want to protect their citizens.”

On whether Malaysia should get a third country to act as a mediator, Sufian said it would not help with the case.

“Every country has own issues, and if they agree to help us, we might have to return the favour and get muddled in their problems, too.

“It is best for Malaysia to deal with North Korea directly.”

The four North Koreans who fled the country are Ri Ji-hyon, 33, Hong Song-hac, 34, O Jonggil, 55, and Ri Jae-nam, 57.