The Two women charged with murder of Kim Jong-nam

Two women accused of killing Kim Jong-nam, the 
estranged half- brother of North Korea's leader, have 
been charged with his murder.

The women, Doan Thi Huong from Vietnam and Siti 
Aisyah from Indonesia, allegedly smeared deadly VX 
nerve agent on Mr Kim's face in Kuala Lumpur airport 
on 13 February.

They appeared in court near Malaysia's capital, protected 
by special forces.

They could face the death penalty if convicted of murder.

No plea was recorded in the magistrates' court as only
 higher courts have jurisdiction over murder cases. But 
after the charge was read out, Doan Thi Huong said "I understand but I am not guilty," in English.

It is widely believed that North Korea was responsible for 
the attack, which it fiercely denies. Kim Jong-nam, was
 openly critical of the North Korean regime .


They will appear again on 13 April, when prosecutors will 
apply for them to be tried jointly in a higher court. The 
charges were read first against Ms Aisyah, then against Ms Huong, both of whom were in handcuffs.

Siti Aisyah's lawyer Gooi Soon Seng asked the court to
 issue an order banning the police and potential witnesses from making statements that might endanger his client's
 right to a fair trial.

Both women have previously said they were paid to take 
part in what they thought was a TV prank.

Malaysia's chief prosecutor earlier said no decision had 
yet been taken on whether to charge a North Korean man, 
Ri Jong Chol, who is also being held over the killing.

That "depends on the outcome of the police investigation, which is still ongoing", Mohamed Apandi Ali was quoted 
as saying by AFP news agency.

Other suspects in the killing include a senior official at the North Korean embassy in Kuala Lumpur and a staff 
member of the state airline. South Korea believes at least
 four suspects are North Korean spies.

Kim Jong-nam, 42, was at a check-in desk for a flight to Macau, where he lives, when he was accosted.

His face was smeared with the toxic nerve agent VX - an
internationally banned chemical weapon - and he died
 within15-20 minutes, Malaysia's health minister said on Sunday.

North Korea has not confirmed that the person killed was 
Kim Jong-nam, as he was travelling under a different name.

Pyongyang has only said that he was a North Korean travelling on a diplomatic passport. The country also 
opposed Malaysia conducting an autopsy.

A high-level delegation from North Korea, including the country's former deputy ambassador to the UN, Ri Tong-il, arrived in the Malaysian capital on Tuesday.

They said they wanted to claim the body and were seeking
 the release of North Korean suspect Ri Jong Chol.


Little is known for definite about Doan Thi Huong and Siti Aisyah except that they had left their homes in different
 parts of Asia and were trying to make a living in Malaysia.

Malaysian police officials described Ms Huong, a 28-year
-old from Vietnam, as an "entertainment outlet employee" while Ms Siti, 25 from Indonesia, was working in a hotel massage parlour.

Ms Huong's Facebook page, in which she posted under
 the name Ruby Ruby, showed her posing in a number of selfies and glamour shots. There are rumours she once auditioned for Vietnam's version of Pop Idol.

Her family said she left her home village in north Vietnam
 at 17 to study in the capital Hanoi, and had rarely 
returned home since.

They said they were surprised to learn she was in Malaysia.

Her stepmother told media that the family were
 fed up with all the attention they had received but were grateful for the support of their neighbours.

"They are sympathetic because they don't understand 
how a daughter of a family with high moral values like 
us could become like that," Nguyen Thi Vy, 54, said.

Siti Aisyah was arrested for the killing along with her 
26-year-old Malaysian boyfriend, who was later released on bail.

She told the Indonesian embassy officials that she thought she was taking part in a reality TV show, and had been paid 400 Malaysian ringgit ($90; £72) to smear what she thought was baby oil on to Mr Kim's face.

Ms Siti was out partying with her friends the night before the
killing. A friend, who spoke anonymously, said they had been
celebrating her birthday, which had been the day before. Film
footage purportedly from the evening shows her talking with
friends about becoming an internet star.

Ri Jong Chol, 47, is a North Korean who has lived in 
Malaysia for the last three years. He is in Malaysian detention.

The Malaysian boyfriend of Siti Aisyah, Muhammad Farid
Jalaluddin, was arrested but police said he would be
 released on bail.

Hyon Kwang Song, 44, second secretary at the North 
Korean embassy in Kuala Lumpur is being sought by 
police. He is believed to be in the embassy in Kuala 
Lumpur.

Kim Uk Il, 37, is a staff member of North Korea's state 
airline Air Koryo, and is also believed to still be in Malaysia.

Ri Ju U, 30, a North Korean also known as "James", has 
been identified by the women as the man who recruited
 them.

Ri Ji Hyon, 33, a North Korean, is believed to have fled
 to Pyongyang.

Hong Song Hac, 34, a North Korean, is believed to have
 fled to Pyongyang.

O Jong Gil, 55, a North Korean, is believed to have fled to
Pyongyang.

Ri Jae Nam, 57, a North Korean, is believed to have 
fled to Pyongyang.