KUALA LUMPUR • Malaysia will begin on Oct 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 yesterday..
KUALA LUMPUR • Malaysia will begin on Oct 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 yesterday.
Indonesian Siti Aisyah, 25, and Vietnamese Doan Thi Huong, 28, are charged with murdering Mr Kim Jong Nam at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Feb 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 in Selangor yesterday, both women were handcuffed and wearing bullet-proof vests over Malay traditional dress, 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.”
The cases will be tried jointly, with pleas taken at the first hearing, he added.
If convicted, the women could face the death penalty.
Huong 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.
