Malaysia sets October 2 date for trial of women accused of assassinating Kim Jong-nam
US and South Korean officials claim 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
Malaysia will begin on October 2 the trial of two women accused of the dramatic killing of the estranged half-brother of North Korea’s leader, the High Court said on Friday.
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 describes as 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 bulletproof vests over Malay traditional costume, consisting of a floor-length skirt and a blouse.
“We will start in October,” said Judge Azmi Ariffin. “The hearing has been fixed for the second.” Both cases would be tried jointly, with pleas taken at the first hearing, he added.
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 previously that they feared “trial by ambush”, with police not sharing evidence.
