October murder trial for pair linked to N Korea

MALAYSIA: The trial of two women accused of the dramatic killing of the estranged halfbrother of North Korea’s leader will begin on October 2.

Indonesian Siti Aisyah, 25, and Doan Thi Huong, 28, from Vietnam, are charged with murdering Kim Jong Nam at Kuala Lumpur airport on February 13 by smearing his face with VX, a chemical the United Nations calls a weapon of mass destruction.

Appearing at the Shah Alam High Court on the outskirts of the capital, Kuala Lumpur, both women were handcuffed and wearing bullet-proof vests over Malay traditional costume, consisting of a floor-length skirt and a blouse.

Both cases would be tried jointly, with pleas taken at the first hearing, Judge Azmi Ariffin said.

If convicted, the women could face the death penalty.

Doan smiled during the hearing, but Siti Aisyah was in tears afterwards, with her lawyers seen trying to calm her.

Defence lawyers have warned they feared ‘‘trial by ambush’’, with police not sharing evidence.

Prosecutor Muhamad Iskandar Ahmad said the prosecution had given a further 33 documents and CCTV recordings to the defence, and would call between 30 and 40 witnesses, depending on the progress of the trial.

‘‘Having seen the CCTV recordings, I hope the judge will have a better understanding of how the situation took place,’’ said Gooi Soon Seng, Siti Aisyah’s lawyer.

Kim was the eldest son of the late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il. His half-brother, Kim Jong Un, became North Korean leader when their father died in 2011.

United States and South Korean officials say the North Korean regime was behind the murder of Kim, who lived in exile in Macau and had criticised his family’s dynastic rule of North Korea.

North Korea has refused to accept the dead man was Kim Jong Un’s half-brother, suggesting instead he died of a heart attack.

Aisyah and Huong have said they believed they were participating in a reality television show prank when they assaulted Kim Jong Nam. – Reuters