A Malaysian court will decide on Thursday whether to continue hearing a case against two women charged with the murder of the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, or acquit them.
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – A Malaysian court will decide on Thursday whether to continue hearing a case against two women charged with the murder of the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, or acquit them.
Indonesian Siti Aisyah and Doan Thi Huong, a Vietnamese, could face the death penalty on charges of murdering Kim Jong Nam by smearing his face with VX, a nerve agent banned by the United Nations, at a Kuala Lumpur airport on Feb. 13 last year.
The women, both in their 20s, are the only suspects in custody and have pleaded not guilty, saying they thought they were involved in a prank for a reality TV show. Four North Koreans also charged in the killing have fled Malaysia.
The prosecution made closing arguments in June at a court on the outskirts of the Malaysian capital, based on testimony from 34 witnesses. Trial judge Azmi Ariffin set Thursday to rule on whether to acquit the women or ask them to enter their defense.
“My gut is telling me the defense will be called,” said the prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin.
“The most key thing is they had VX on them and VX was shown to have killed Kim Jong Nam. So they have to explain the connection there.
