Vietnam’s calls to release second suspect are refused, following release of Indonesian woman Siti Aisyah

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

A Vietnamese woman will continue her trial for the murder of Kim Jong-nam, the half-brother of North Korea’s leader, after Malaysian prosecutors rejected a request from Vietnam to free her on Thursday.

The Vietnamese government had made the appeal after Doan Thi Huong’s co-accused, Indonesian woman Siti Aisyah, was released on Monday in a shock decision.

On Thursday, the same court ruled that Doan’s trial could proceed, but would be postponed until 1 April after she was declared “mentally and physically” unfit to testify.

Counsel for Doan Thi-Huong, Hisham Teh Poh Teik, told the court that she had not slept for the past three nights following the decision by the Malaysian attorney general to drop the charges against Siti.

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Both women were facing murder charges over the death of Kim Jong-nam. Kim died in 2017 after a toxic nerve agent was smeared on his face at Kuala Lumpur Airport. The women claimed they had no idea they had been groomed by North Korean agents to carry out the murder and thought they were taking part in a prank TV show.

However, Doan’s counsel Hisham confirmed that Malaysian prosecutors rejected a request to drop the charges against Doan, meaning she alone will face trial for the murder. It was decision which Hisham described as “discrimination” and evidence that the attorney general Tommy Thomas had “favoured” one defendant over another.

“It is our complaint that the public prosecutor has not acted fairly or justly,” he said. “Our constitution has been violated.”

It is thought that diplomatic pressure from Indonesia, in particular President Joko Widodo who is facing an election next month, contributed to the Malaysian government’s decision to drop the charges against Siti. Thomas cited the “good relations” between Indonesia and Malaysia as one of the reasons for approving her acquittal.

Vietnamese diplomatic efforts have proved less effective on the part of Doan, though Hisham confirmed that the embassy of Vietnam in Malaysia, as well as the Vietnamese minister of justice and minister of foreign affairs were “communication with the Malaysian government to secure the release of Doan Thi Huong.”

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Speaking outside court, Doan’s counsel they would be making a second representation to Thomas to drop the charges, saying he had a “moral obligation” come to court to explain why they chose to continue prosecution of Doan but not Siti.

Sitting in court, Doan looked pale and drawn and her lawyer’s request that the trial be postponed due to Doan’s ill health was reluctantly accepted by the judge.

“I wish I could just carry on but the accused is clearly not mentally or physically fit to testify,” the judge told the court.

Doan broke down sobbing as she was handcuffed to be taken back to jail. Speaking to Vietnam embassy officials she shook violently, and pleaded with them.

“I am not angry at Siti,” Doan told reporters in court through tears, adding that she was “traumatised”.

“God knows that Siti and I did nothing wrong,” she said. “Please call my father, call my family, and ask for them to pray for me.”



