Kim killing: Freedom bid rejected
Print Edition
Malaysia鈥檚 attorney-general yesterday rejected Vietnam鈥檚 request to free a woman accused of the murder of Kim Jong Nam, the half-brother of the Democratic People鈥檚 Republic of Korea leader, and a court set April 1 for her trial to resume.
Vietnam鈥檚 call had followed Monday鈥檚 release, at Indonesia鈥檚 request, of an Indonesian woman accused along with Vietnamese Doan Thi Huong.
Doan and Siti Aisyah were charged with killing Kim by smearing his face with VX poison, a banned chemical weapon, at Kuala Lumpur airport in February 2017.
鈥淚t鈥檚 our complaint that the public prosecution has not acted fairly and justly to Doan Thi Huong,鈥 said her lawyer, Hisyam Teh, who also asked for an adjournment on the grounds that his client was unwell.
Teh told the court the rejection of Vietnam鈥檚 request was 鈥減erverse,鈥 and a case of discrimination, as the attorney-general had favored one party over another, since the court had ordered both to enter their defense.
Vietnam鈥檚 ministers of justice and foreign affairs are communicating with their Malaysian counterparts to secure Doan鈥檚 release, Teh added.
Vietnam鈥檚 foreign ministry said it regretted the Malaysian court鈥檚 decision not to immediately free Doan.
鈥淰ietnam has mentioned this case in all its exchanges with Malaysia and we have also requested that Malaysia conduct a fair trial,鈥 foreign ministry spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang said at a media conference in Hanoi.
Prosecutors had sprung a surprise on Monday by asking the court to drop the charge against Aisyah and free her.
The Indonesian embassy flew her to Jakarta the same day.
The trial featured airport video of two women allegedly assaulting Kim while he prepared to check in for a flight.
In one, a woman identified as Doan puts her hands on Kim鈥檚 face, while a blurry image shows someone the prosecution identified as Aisyah hurrying away.
Teh rejected speculation that Aisyah release was due to a lack of video evidence against her, saying the court had already established a case against both.
鈥淪o it makes no difference whatsoever if Doan鈥檚 image was caught on the CCTV camera, none at all,鈥 he said after the hearing.
In Vietnam, Doan鈥檚 stepmother, Nguyen Thi Vy, said the decision saddened her.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 understand why the other girl was released, but not my daughter,鈥 Nguyen said.
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