Lawyers continue to ask Malaysia to release Doan Thi Huong

Lawyers for Doan Thi Huong, a Vietnamese suspect in the February 2017 murder of a North Korean citizen identified on his passport as Kim Chol, said yesterday that they have filed a second request for her release with the Malaysian Ministry of Justice. Prosecutors are expected to announce their decision on the request on April 1.

"The basic content of the second application is to ask the Minister of Justice to reconsider his previous refusal to release her. In the upcoming trial, Huong may be released like Aisyah, have the murder charge reduced, or in the worst case, her trial will continue," Hisyam Teh Poh Teik, one of Huong's lawyers, replied.AFP.

If the Malaysian Ministry of Justice decides to continue the trial, a time for Huong to appear in court to give testimony will be arranged.

Huong and Siti Aisyah, an Indonesian citizen, are accused of using VX nerve agent to kill Kim Chol, who the US and South Korea believe is Kim Jong-nam, the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Both have denied the charges, saying they were tricked into participating in a hidden camera reality show.

During the trial on March 11 at the Shah Alam High Court on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian prosecutors withdrew the murder charge against Aisyah but did not give a reason. She was released immediately after the trial and quickly returned to her home country.

However, at a defense hearing three days later, Malaysia's Attorney General Muhammad Iskandar Ahmad decided to continue the trial with Huong despite her legal team submitting a request for her release.

Huong is currently the only suspect charged with murder and could face the death penalty if convicted. Huong's lawyers have said their client was a "scapegoat" and that the masterminds were four North Koreans who fled Malaysia shortly after the assassination.

Seoul accused Pyongyang of being behind the plan, but North Korean officials insisted the person killed in Kuala Lumpur was not Kim Jong-nam and denied any involvement.

Ms. Le Thi Thu Hang, spokesperson of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said yesterday that Vietnam will continue to implement diplomatic, consular and legal protection measures at the highest level to ensure that Doan Thi Huong is tried fairly and objectively and released.

Anh Ngoc(According toAFP)