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A Malaysian court has charged two women — an Indonesian and a Vietnamese — with murder over their alleged involvement in the killing of the estranged half-brother of North Korea's leader.
Siti Aishah, 25, and Doan Thi Huong, 28, were presented in court by the Malaysian police where charges were read out against them.
They could face the death penalty if convicted.
Kim Jong-nam — who had criticised the regime of his family and his half-brother, Kim Jong-un — was killed in Kuala Lumpur's main airport on February 13.
It is alleged the two women smeared VX nerve agent, a chemical described by the United Nations as a weapon of mass destruction, across his face.
Both women have reportedly said they thought they were part of a prank TV show playing harmless tricks on unsuspecting passengers.
Siti Aisyah told authorities that she was paid about 400 ringgit or $120
North Korea has sent a high-level delegation to Malaysia to seek the return of Kim's body.
The delegation includes Ri Tong-il, former North Korean deputy ambassador to the United Nations.
North Korea opposed Malaysian officials conducting an autopsy, while Malaysia has resisted giving up the body without getting DNA samples and confirmation from next of kin.
.jpg/8311942 "Kim Jong-nam")
The killing took place amid crowds of travellers at Kuala Lumpur's International Airport and appeared to be a well-planned assassination.
- A highly toxic and rapidly acting chemical warfare agent developed in the UK in the 1950s
- The most potent of all nerve agents, it is much more potent than the well-known sarin but works in a similar way
- Symptoms appear within seconds of exposure to the vapour or after exposure to the liquid form
- A large dose of VX may result in convulsions, loss of consciousness, paralysis and respiratory failure possibly leading to death
- It is possible that any visible VX liquid contact on the skin, unless washed off immediately, would be lethal
- Only one person has ever been officially confirmed as having died from VX. If confirmed, Jong-nam would be the second
Malaysian authorities said North Koreans put the deadly nerve agent VX in the hands of the two women who then placed the toxin on Kim's face
He died on the way to a hospital, within about 20 minutes of the attack.
Malaysia has also detained a 45-year-old North Korean, Ri Jong-chol, whose role in the killing is unclear.
Authorities are seeking seven other North Korean suspects, four of whom fled the country the day of Kim's death and are believed to be back in North Korea.
Others sought include the second secretary of North Korea's embassy and an employee of North Korea's state-owned airline, Air Koryo.
Reuters/AP
Topics: murder-and-manslaughter, law-crime-and-justice, world-politics, malaysia, korea-democratic-people-s-republic-of, asia
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