Women on trial for Kim Jong-nam murder plead not guilty

SHAH ALAM: Two women pleaded not guilty today to murdering Kim Jong-nam, the half-brother of North Korea's leader, at the start of their trial over the Cold War-style assassination that shocked the world.
Indonesian Siti Aisyah and Vietnamese Doan Thi Huong entered their pleas through interpreters at Shah Alam High Court.
The murder charge was read first to Aisyah, 25, who was wearing traditional Malay dress, in the Indonesian language. After conferring with an interpreter, the interpreter indicated she was pleading not guilty.
The charge was then read to Huong, 29, who was wearing a blue jumper, in the Vietnamese language. Her interpreter also told the court she was pleading not guilty.
The defendants were arrested just days after the killing of Kim Jong-nam on Feb 13 as he waited to board a plane to Macau at Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (klia2).
They are accused of rubbing toxic VX nerve agent in his face. They claim they were duped into believing they were taking part in a prank for a reality TV show.
Jong-nam, who travelled with a passport bearing the name of Kim Chol, died while on the way to the Putrajaya Hospital. He came to Malaysia on Feb 6.
The murder charge under Section 302 of the Penal Code carries the mandatory death sentence upon conviction.