The two women suspected of assassinating Kim Jong-nam returned to the scene of the crime on Tuesday.
Siti Aisyah, an Indonesian national, and Doan Thi Huong, who is Vietnamese, were escorted through the terminal where Kim was killed in February 2017. Kim, the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, died after the two women allegedly smeared the nerve agent VX on his face as he waited for a flight at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. They claim they were tricked by North Korean agents who said they were taking part in a prank for a TV show, but prosecutors say their behavior at the time indicated they knew they had poison on their hands.
Accompanied by the judge, prosecutors, defense lawyers and representatives from their home countries, the women made their way through the airport encircled by armed guards. The visit was organized to give the court a better understanding of how the crime allegedly unfolded. Both women were provided wheelchairs in the middle of the visit when Huong appeared unwell and Aisyah broke down in tears.
Kim Jong-nam had lived outside North Korea for years and had spoken out against his family’s rule, though he showed little interest in influencing his half-brother. Still, he could have been seen as a threat to Kim Jong-un’s rule, and the South Korean spy agency has indicated that the North Korean leader had a “standing order” for his death.
The trial will resume in court on Wednesday. Both women have pleaded not guilty and face the death penalty if convicted.
