KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- Two women accused of smearing VX nerve agent on the estranged half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un were charged with murder this morning.
The women, who arrived at court under the protection of special forces wearing masks and carrying machine guns, are at the center of a killing of Kim Jong Nam at a busy Malaysian airport terminal. Many speculate the attack was orchestrated by North Korea, but Pyongyang denies any role.
Wearing a red T-shirt and bluejeans, Indonesian suspect Siti Aisyah nodded as her translator told her: "You are accused of murdering a North Korean man at the departure hall" of Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
The other suspect, Vietnamese Doan Thi Huong, wore a yellow shirt and bluejeans and said "I understand" in English as the charge was read. As she was led out, he looked briefly at the public gallery and bowed her head.
The women did not enter pleas because the magistrate court where they appeared has no jurisdiction over a murder case. Lead prosecutor Iskander Ahmad told the court he will ask for the case to be transferred to a higher court and for both women to be tried together.
They face a mandatory death sentence if convicted.
Kim Jong Nam was attacked as he waited for his flight home to Macau on Feb. 13. He died shortly after two women walked up behind him and wiped something onto his face.
Both women have reportedly said they thought they were part of a prank TV show playing harmless tricks on unsuspecting passengers. Aisyah told authorities that she was paid the equivalent of $90.
Arrmanatha Nasir, the spokesman for Indonesia's Foreign Ministry, said Aisyah's lawyers have already begun preparing her defense. Indonesia expects Malaysia will uphold a legal process based on the presumption of innocence until proved otherwise, he said.
"Is she an intelligence agent or not? Let's see the hearing process and what she says through her lawyers," Nasir said. "If there is information like that, of course we would get it either from our own intelligence services or from foreign intelligence services which have cooperation with us, and so far we have no such information."
Malaysia also has detained a 45-year-old North Korean, Ri Jong Chol. Asked if the North Korean will be charged, Apandi said it depends on the outcome of the investigation.
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 the North Korean Embassy and an employee of North Korea's state-owned airline, Air Koryo.
Meanwhile, the body of Kim is at the center of a diplomatic battle between North Korea and Malaysia. North Korea opposed Malaysian officials even conducting an autopsy, while Malaysia has resisted giving up the body without getting DNA samples and confirmation from next of kin.
The delegation includes Ri Tong Il, a former North Korean deputy ambassador to the United Nations, who told reporters Tuesday outside the North Korean Embassy that the diplomats were in Malaysia to retrieve the body and seek the release of a North Korean arrested in the case. He said the delegation also wants "development of the friendly relationship" between North Korea and Malaysia.
Malaysian officials have confirmed that the victim of the attack was Kim. North Korea, however, has identified him only as a North Korean national with a diplomatic passport bearing the name Kim Chol.
Information for this article was contributed by Yves Dam Van and Niniek Karmini of The Associated Press.
A Section on 03/01/2017