Siti Aisyah Begins Hearings on North Korean Murder Case

Jakarta, 2 Jumadil Akhir 1438/1 March 2017 (MINA) – The Indonesian Citizens Protection Team of the Indonesian Foreign Ministry together with lawyers from the law firm Gooi & Azzura were accompanying Siti Aisyah at her first legal proceeding in the District Court Sepang, Malaysia.

The hearings took place from around 09.30 to 10.30 today, Wednesday (1/3) with a single agenda the reading of the claims/allegations, the Foreign Ministry reported.

In reading the claims,  the public prosecutor have officially charged Indonesian Siti Aisyah, 25, with murder for allegedly smearing VX nerve agent, a banned chemical weapon, on the face of Kim Jong-nam at an airport in Kuala Lumpur on Feb. 13.

Kim was awaiting a flight to Macau, where he lived.

Prosecutors said Aisyah and Vietnamese Doan Thi Huong, 29, are suspected of killing a North Korean named Kim Chol, with the help of four other fugitives. Kim Chol is the name on a passport held by Kim Jong-nam.

The Team of lawyers has filed a “gag order” to the judge who basically begged investigators did not submit results of the investigation to the public, so as not to interfere with the legal process is ongoing. The petition was accepted by the judge.

With the commencement of the trial then Siti Aisyah was transferred from the detention center in Cyberjaya, Kuala Lumpur, Kajang women’s prison in Selangor. The next session will be held on 13 April 2017 in the same court.

The Indonesian government called on all parties to uphold the principle,of the presumption of innocence until the defendant is proven guilty.. Therefore, both the Embassy and the Indonesian Citizens Protection Team Legal Team will continue to provide legal assistance.

Siti Aisyah, an Indonesian woman aged 25 years, and Doan Thi Huong,a  Vietnamese woman aged 28 years, together with a Malaysian and a number of North Koreans are suspected of killing Kim Jong Nam, half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, in Kuala Lumpur two  weeks ago.  (L/R04/RS05)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)