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Asia Kim Jong Nam murder trial: Malaysia rejects call to release Vietnamese woman
Vietnamese national, Doan Thi Huong (C) leaves Shah Alam High Court escorted by Malaysian police, outside Kuala Lumpur on March 14, 2019. (Photo: AFP / MOHD RASFAN)
14 Mar 2019 10:19AM (Updated: 14 Mar 2019 11:59AM)
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SHAH ALAM, Malaysia: A Vietnamese woman accused of assassinating Kim Jong Nam, the half-brother of North Korea's leader, will continue trial after Malaysian prosecutors rejected a request from Vietnam to free her on Thursday (Mar 14).
"In reference to the representation submitted on Mar 11 to the honourable attorney-general, we got an order to proceed with the case," lead prosecutor Muhammad Iskandar Ahmad told the High Court in Shah Alam, outside Kuala Lumpur.
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The Vietnamese government had made the call after Doan Thi Huong's co-accused, an Indonesian woman by the name of Siti Aisyah, was released on Monday.
Huong and Aisyah were charged with killing Kim by smearing his face with VX poison, a banned chemical weapon, at Kuala Lumpur airport in February 2017.
READ: Kim Jong Nam trial: Malaysia PM says release of Indonesian suspect within rules
READ: Kim Jong Nam trial: Vietnam asks Malaysia to free Vietnamese suspect
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Wearing a bulletproof vest and a red headscarf, Huong arrived at the Malaysian court where she has been on trial for a year and a half over the assassination.
She sobbed in the dock as the news was announced, and tearfully told reporters: "I am not angry that Siti has been freed. Only God knows that we did not commit the murder.
"I want my family to pray for me," she added.
Vietnamese national, Doan Thi Huong (2nd R)is escorted by Malaysian police at the Shah Alam High Court, outside Kuala Lumpur, on March 14, 2019 to stand trial for her alleged role in the assassination of Kim Jong Nam AFP/MOHD RASFAN
Judge Azmi Ariffin said on Thursday that Huong was not "physically and mentally" well enough to continue with the trial and adjourned proceedings until Apr 1.
Vietnamese ambassador to Malaysia, Le Quy Quynh, told AFP at the court: "I'm very disappointed that the court did not free Doan.
"We will request Malaysia to be fair and to release her as soon as possible."
On Monday, the murder charge was unexpectedly withdrawn against Aisyah, who flew back to Jakarta to a jubilant welcome.
READ: Indonesian suspect in Kim Jong Nam's death 'very timid', 'kept to herself'
READ: Pranks, stardom, money: How a woman was allegedly coaxed into killing Kim Jong Nam
Lawyers for Huong - who could face death by hanging if convicted - then asked the Malaysian government to withdraw the murder charge against her.
The women have always denied murder. They say they were tricked by North Korean spies into carrying out the Cold War-style killing using a highly toxic nerve agent, and believed it was a prank for a reality TV show.
Their lawyers presented them as scapegoats and said the real killers were four North Koreans. The men were suspected of being the masterminds behind the plot but fled Malaysia shortly after the assassination.
The trial began in October 2017 but there had been no hearings since August last year when the prosecution finished presenting its case.
Proceedings were scheduled to resume Monday with Huong, 30, testifying - but the unexpected release of Aisyah led to the trial being adjourned.
Indonesia mounted a diplomatic campaign to free Aisyah, with the country's justice minister writing to Malaysia's attorney-general asking for her release.
READ: Vietnamese dad of Kim murder suspect wants 'kind' daughter home
Since Aisyah's release, Vietnam has stepped up pressure - the country's justice minster has also written to the Malaysian government seeking Huong's release and the Vietnamese foreign minister has pressed his Malaysian counterpart on the issue.
Source: Agencies/nc/na
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https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/i-need-some-peace-says-freed-kim-jong-nam-murder-suspect
I need some peace, says freed Kim Jong Nam murder suspect
Ms Siti Aisyah
Published
8 hours ago
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JAKARTA • Ms Siti Aisyah, the Indonesian woman whose murder charges were dropped in Malaysia on Monday, says she has not had a good night's sleep since her release and she feels the events that have unfurled since then have been surreal.
"I've had maybe half an hour of sleep. I've found it hard to sleep, it's just... it doesn't feel real. I am still in shock," she told reporters at the Foreign Ministry after meeting President Joko Widodo on Tuesday.
Ms Siti Aisyah, 27, went to the Presidential Palace with her parents, Mr Asria and Madam Benah, as well as her sister, and engaged in a brief talk with the President.
She said she was happy to meet Mr Joko, who "gave (her) some advice".
Mr Joko said after the meeting: "I told Siti to stay at home first until she feels calmer and then she can plan her life again."
Meeting the President was the fourth public event she has appeared at since prosecutors at Shah Alam High Court in Malaysia dropped charges against her in the 2017 murder of Mr Kim Jong Nam, the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
After her surprise release on Monday, Ms Siti Aisyah was flown to Jakarta immediately by private jet to be reunited with her parents and other family members.
She said she had never been under such intense public spotlight, not even during her 11/2-year trial when the media took photos of her from a distance.
"I can't describe the feeling, maybe I just need a rest, far from this... the media and live with my family. I just want peace," she said.
Ms Siti Aisyah and 30-year-old Doan Thi Huong from Vietnam were accused of smearing a banned toxic nerve agent on Mr Kim Jong Nam at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in February 2017, in a trial that evoked a Cold War-style assassination and raised eyebrows around the world.
Ms Siti Aisyah and Doan were charged with conspiracy and murder, which, according to the Malaysian penal code, is punishable by death.
Related Story
Malaysia court frees Indonesian in Kim Jong Nam murder case
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Malaysia releases Indonesian suspect in Kim Jong Nam case out of goodwill: Embassy
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Kim Jong Nam murder: Mahathir denies knowledge of Indonesian govt lobbying for Siti Aisyah's release
Ms Siti Aisyah said she was held in solitary confinement during the court proceedings and she spent two birthdays alone in prison.
And it was only with the support of her family, as well as that of officials at the Indonesian Embassy and the Foreign Ministry's citizen protection directorate who visited her every few weeks, that Ms Siti Aisyah kept her faith.
"I believed I could be free, but not this soon. I miss my hometown and its surroundings, my parents and my son," she said, adding that she had not seen her nine-year-old son in the past two years.
She tried to contact him on Monday evening after her release, but he was not available because his grandparents had taken him out for a walk.
During the trial process, she said, she never contacted her son because she wanted to distance him from her case.
"Maybe I will explain to him when he is old enough to understand," she said.
Her release on Monday came during a trial session when the presiding judge agreed to a discharge without an acquittal. This means that she has not been cleared of the charge and could still be arrested again.
Nonetheless, Mr Joko said: "We must be grateful that Siti Aisyah has been freed from a possible serious sentence and she is now together again with her family."
According to him, her release was the fruit of long efforts by the government, including by appointing lawyers to assist her from the time she was detained in 2017.
THE JAKARTA POST/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on March 14, 2019, with the headline 'I need some peace, says freed Kim Jong Nam murder suspect'. Print Edition | Subscribe
Asia Kim Jong Nam murder trial: Malaysia rejects call to release Vietnamese woman
Vietnamese national, Doan Thi Huong (C) leaves Shah Alam High Court escorted by Malaysian police, outside Kuala Lumpur on March 14, 2019. (Photo: AFP / MOHD RASFAN)
14 Mar 2019 10:19AM (Updated: 14 Mar 2019 11:59AM)
Share this content
Bookmark
SHAH ALAM, Malaysia: A Vietnamese woman accused of assassinating Kim Jong Nam, the half-brother of North Korea's leader, will continue trial after Malaysian prosecutors rejected a request from Vietnam to free her on Thursday (Mar 14).
"In reference to the representation submitted on Mar 11 to the honourable attorney-general, we got an order to proceed with the case," lead prosecutor Muhammad Iskandar Ahmad told the High Court in Shah Alam, outside Kuala Lumpur.
Advertisement
The Vietnamese government had made the call after Doan Thi Huong's co-accused, an Indonesian woman by the name of Siti Aisyah, was released on Monday.
Huong and Aisyah were charged with killing Kim by smearing his face with VX poison, a banned chemical weapon, at Kuala Lumpur airport in February 2017.
READ: Kim Jong Nam trial: Malaysia PM says release of Indonesian suspect within rules
READ: Kim Jong Nam trial: Vietnam asks Malaysia to free Vietnamese suspect
Advertisement
Wearing a bulletproof vest and a red headscarf, Huong arrived at the Malaysian court where she has been on trial for a year and a half over the assassination.
She sobbed in the dock as the news was announced, and tearfully told reporters: "I am not angry that Siti has been freed. Only God knows that we did not commit the murder.
"I want my family to pray for me," she added.
Vietnamese national, Doan Thi Huong (2nd R)is escorted by Malaysian police at the Shah Alam High Court, outside Kuala Lumpur, on March 14, 2019 to stand trial for her alleged role in the assassination of Kim Jong Nam AFP/MOHD RASFAN
Judge Azmi Ariffin said on Thursday that Huong was not "physically and mentally" well enough to continue with the trial and adjourned proceedings until Apr 1.
Vietnamese ambassador to Malaysia, Le Quy Quynh, told AFP at the court: "I'm very disappointed that the court did not free Doan.
"We will request Malaysia to be fair and to release her as soon as possible."
On Monday, the murder charge was unexpectedly withdrawn against Aisyah, who flew back to Jakarta to a jubilant welcome.
READ: Indonesian suspect in Kim Jong Nam's death 'very timid', 'kept to herself'
READ: Pranks, stardom, money: How a woman was allegedly coaxed into killing Kim Jong Nam
Lawyers for Huong - who could face death by hanging if convicted - then asked the Malaysian government to withdraw the murder charge against her.
The women have always denied murder. They say they were tricked by North Korean spies into carrying out the Cold War-style killing using a highly toxic nerve agent, and believed it was a prank for a reality TV show.
Their lawyers presented them as scapegoats and said the real killers were four North Koreans. The men were suspected of being the masterminds behind the plot but fled Malaysia shortly after the assassination.
The trial began in October 2017 but there had been no hearings since August last year when the prosecution finished presenting its case.
Proceedings were scheduled to resume Monday with Huong, 30, testifying - but the unexpected release of Aisyah led to the trial being adjourned.
Indonesia mounted a diplomatic campaign to free Aisyah, with the country's justice minister writing to Malaysia's attorney-general asking for her release.
READ: Vietnamese dad of Kim murder suspect wants 'kind' daughter home
Since Aisyah's release, Vietnam has stepped up pressure - the country's justice minster has also written to the Malaysian government seeking Huong's release and the Vietnamese foreign minister has pressed his Malaysian counterpart on the issue.
Source: Agencies/nc/na
Tagged Topics
https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/i-need-some-peace-says-freed-kim-jong-nam-murder-suspect
I need some peace, says freed Kim Jong Nam murder suspect
Published
8 hours ago
Facebook Twitter Email
JAKARTA • Ms Siti Aisyah, the Indonesian woman whose murder charges were dropped in Malaysia on Monday, says she has not had a good night's sleep since her release and she feels the events that have unfurled since then have been surreal.
"I've had maybe half an hour of sleep. I've found it hard to sleep, it's just... it doesn't feel real. I am still in shock," she told reporters at the Foreign Ministry after meeting President Joko Widodo on Tuesday.
Ms Siti Aisyah, 27, went to the Presidential Palace with her parents, Mr Asria and Madam Benah, as well as her sister, and engaged in a brief talk with the President.
She said she was happy to meet Mr Joko, who "gave (her) some advice".
Mr Joko said after the meeting: "I told Siti to stay at home first until she feels calmer and then she can plan her life again."
Meeting the President was the fourth public event she has appeared at since prosecutors at Shah Alam High Court in Malaysia dropped charges against her in the 2017 murder of Mr Kim Jong Nam, the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
After her surprise release on Monday, Ms Siti Aisyah was flown to Jakarta immediately by private jet to be reunited with her parents and other family members.
OVERWHELMED
I can't describe the feeling, maybe I just need a rest, far from this... the media and live with my family. I just want peace.
MS SITI AISYAH, who made four public appearances on Monday and Tuesday after murder charges against her were dropped.
Throughout Monday, she had three separate public appearances and photo opportunities with Indonesian officials, including Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi and Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly, where she was greeted by camera lights and showered with endless questions from the media, all of which, she said, caused her headaches.She said she had never been under such intense public spotlight, not even during her 11/2-year trial when the media took photos of her from a distance.
"I can't describe the feeling, maybe I just need a rest, far from this... the media and live with my family. I just want peace," she said.
Ms Siti Aisyah and 30-year-old Doan Thi Huong from Vietnam were accused of smearing a banned toxic nerve agent on Mr Kim Jong Nam at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in February 2017, in a trial that evoked a Cold War-style assassination and raised eyebrows around the world.
Ms Siti Aisyah and Doan were charged with conspiracy and murder, which, according to the Malaysian penal code, is punishable by death.
Related Story
Malaysia court frees Indonesian in Kim Jong Nam murder case
Related Story
Malaysia releases Indonesian suspect in Kim Jong Nam case out of goodwill: Embassy
Related Story
Kim Jong Nam murder: Mahathir denies knowledge of Indonesian govt lobbying for Siti Aisyah's release
Ms Siti Aisyah said she was held in solitary confinement during the court proceedings and she spent two birthdays alone in prison.
And it was only with the support of her family, as well as that of officials at the Indonesian Embassy and the Foreign Ministry's citizen protection directorate who visited her every few weeks, that Ms Siti Aisyah kept her faith.
"I believed I could be free, but not this soon. I miss my hometown and its surroundings, my parents and my son," she said, adding that she had not seen her nine-year-old son in the past two years.
She tried to contact him on Monday evening after her release, but he was not available because his grandparents had taken him out for a walk.
During the trial process, she said, she never contacted her son because she wanted to distance him from her case.
"Maybe I will explain to him when he is old enough to understand," she said.
Her release on Monday came during a trial session when the presiding judge agreed to a discharge without an acquittal. This means that she has not been cleared of the charge and could still be arrested again.
Nonetheless, Mr Joko said: "We must be grateful that Siti Aisyah has been freed from a possible serious sentence and she is now together again with her family."
According to him, her release was the fruit of long efforts by the government, including by appointing lawyers to assist her from the time she was detained in 2017.
THE JAKARTA POST/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on March 14, 2019, with the headline 'I need some peace, says freed Kim Jong Nam murder suspect'. Print Edition | Subscribe
