A Vietnamese woman who stood trial for the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kim-jong-nam-murder-the-mystery-that-gripped-the-world-215553">assassination of the North Korean leader's half-brother</a> arrived home Friday, bringing down the curtain on a dramatic and often bizarre two-year murder mystery.

Kim Jong Nam, the estranged relative of Kim Jong Un who was once seen as heir apparent to the North's leadership, died in agony after having his face smeared with a banned nerve agent as he waited at Kuala Lumpur airport in February 2017.&nbsp;

The sensational killing made headlines around the world and sparked a furious diplomatic row as Seoul accused Pyongyang of an elaborate plot to murder a figure who had spent years in exile and been critical of his family's rule.

Doan Thi Huong from Vietnam and Indonesian national Siti Aisyah were arrested after being spotted on CCTV approaching Kim, but they always denied murder.&nbsp;

The women instead insisted they were tricked into carrying out the hit by North Korean agents, who told them it was a reality TV show prank and fled Malaysia after the killing.

The Vietnamese suspect was met by throngs of reporters at Hanoi's Noi Bai airport Friday evening, saying she was relieved to be home and happy to start her next chapter.&nbsp;

"I am so happy to come back to my country," said Huong, wearing large sunglasses as she arrived home with her Malaysian lawyers. &nbsp;

"I don't know what I will do but I want to be on stage, like an actress -- that's what I want."&nbsp;

'I felt so lonely'

Huong and Aisyah were both on trial in Malaysia for the Cold War-style killing, but in March, prosecutors dropped the murder charge against Aisyah after diplomatic pressure and she flew home.

Last month, they withdrew murder charges against 30-year-old Huong, who pleaded guilty to a reduced count of "causing injury" and was told she would be released in May at the end of her sentence.

The Vietnamese former hair salon worker left her rice farming village after secondary school, raising eyebrows with her funky fashions and edgy hairstyles.&nbsp;

Clips of her on Vietnam Idol soon circulated online, along with unverified footage of her kissing the star of a popular Vietnam YouTube channel. &nbsp; &nbsp;

More than two years after her arrest, Huong was freed from a prison outside the Malaysian capital early Friday before her flight back home later in the day.

She recalled her days in jail and said she planned to go to church now that she is free. &nbsp;

"I felt so lonely and I missed my home so much -- that was my most fearful feeling. I cried all the time," she told reporters before being whisked away in a van.&nbsp;

'True killers escaped justice'

While there is a relief for the women, no one else is in custody over the murder and those behind the plot are unlikely to ever be punished.

"The assassins have not been brought to justice," said Huong's lawyer Hisyam Teh Poh Teik, adding the women's legal teams consistently argued that four North Koreans who fled Malaysia after the killing, and were charged in absentia, were the real murderers.&nbsp;

The women were arrested after they were captured on airport CCTV cameras walking up behind Kim as he waited for a flight. One was seen clasping her hands over his face.

Kim died quickly, his face smeared with poison.

The women, who faced death by hanging if convicted of murder, went on trial in October 2017 but the case was slow-moving due to the large number of witnesses and appeals from the defence teams.

The defence stage of the trial had been due to get underway in March before prosecutors suddenly dropped charges against Aisyah, 27, following intense diplomatic pressure from the Indonesian government.

Vietnam then stepped up pressure for Huong's murder charge to be dropped and at the start of April, prosecutors offered her the lesser charge, paving the way for her release.

Vietnam's foreign ministry spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang welcomed her return home, saying on Twitter she was "glad" Huong had been released and was "reunited with her family".&nbsp;

Pyongyang has never admitted to killing Kim Jong Nam -- it claims the dead man was a North Korean citizen named Kim Chol -- and that the accusations were a smear campaign.

The assassination sparked a furious row between North Korea and Malaysia, previously one of nuclear-armed Pyongyang's few allies, and prompted both countries to expel each other's ambassadors.

Ties have improved in recent times, however, with Malaysia saying it plans to reopen its embassy in Pyongyang, which was closed shortly after the murder.

A Vietnamese woman who stood trial for the assassination of the North Korean leader's half-brother arrived home Friday, bringing down the curtain on a dramatic and often bizarre two-year murder mystery.

A Vietnamese woman who stood trial for the assassination of the North Korean leader's half-brother arrived home Friday, bringing down the curtain on a dramatic and often bizarre two-year murder mystery. Kim Jong Nam, the estranged relative of Kim Jong Un who was once seen as heir apparent to the North's leadership, died in agony after having his face smeared with a banned nerve agent as he waited at Kuala Lumpur airport in February 2017. The sensational killing made headlines around the world and sparked a furious diplomatic row as Seoul accused Pyongyang of an elaborate plot to murder a figure who had spent years in exile and been critical of his family's rule. Doan Thi Huong from Vietnam and Indonesian national Siti Aisyah were arrested after being spotted on CCTV approaching Kim, but they always denied murder. The women instead insisted they were tricked into carrying out the hit by North Korean agents, who told them it was a reality TV show prank and fled Malaysia after the killing. The Vietnamese suspect was met by throngs of reporters at Hanoi's Noi Bai airport Friday evening, saying she was relieved to be home and happy to start her next chapter. "I am so happy to come back to my country," said Huong, wearing large sunglasses as she arrived home with her Malaysian lawyers. "I don't know what I will do but I want to be on stage, like an actress -- that's what I want." 'I felt so lonely' Huong and Aisyah were both on trial in Malaysia for the Cold War-style killing, but in March, prosecutors dropped the murder charge against Aisyah after diplomatic pressure and she flew home. Last month, they withdrew murder charges against 30-year-old Huong, who pleaded guilty to a reduced count of "causing injury" and was told she would be released in May at the end of her sentence. The Vietnamese former hair salon worker left her rice farming village after secondary school, raising eyebrows with her funky fashions and edgy hairstyles. Clips of her on Vietnam Idol soon circulated online, along with unverified footage of her kissing the star of a popular Vietnam YouTube channel. More than two years after her arrest, Huong was freed from a prison outside the Malaysian capital early Friday before her flight back home later in the day. She recalled her days in jail and said she planned to go to church now that she is free. "I felt so lonely and I missed my home so much -- that was my most fearful feeling. I cried all the time," she told reporters before being whisked away in a van. 'True killers escaped justice' While there is a relief for the women, no one else is in custody over the murder and those behind the plot are unlikely to ever be punished. "The assassins have not been brought to justice," said Huong's lawyer Hisyam Teh Poh Teik, adding the women's legal teams consistently argued that four North Koreans who fled Malaysia after the killing, and were charged in absentia, were the real murderers. The women were arrested after they were captured on airport CCTV cameras walking up behind Kim as he waited for a flight. One was seen clasping her hands over his face. Kim died quickly, his face smeared with poison. The women, who faced death by hanging if convicted of murder, went on trial in October 2017 but the case was slow-moving due to the large number of witnesses and appeals from the defence teams. The defence stage of the trial had been due to get underway in March before prosecutors suddenly dropped charges against Aisyah, 27, following intense diplomatic pressure from the Indonesian government. Vietnam then stepped up pressure for Huong's murder charge to be dropped and at the start of April, prosecutors offered her the lesser charge, paving the way for her release. Vietnam's foreign ministry spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang welcomed her return home, saying on Twitter she was "glad" Huong had been released and was "reunited with her family". Pyongyang has never admitted to killing Kim Jong Nam -- it claims the dead man was a North Korean citizen named Kim Chol -- and that the accusations were a smear campaign. The assassination sparked a furious row between North Korea and Malaysia, previously one of nuclear-armed Pyongyang's few allies, and prompted both countries to expel each other's ambassadors. Ties have improved in recent times, however, with Malaysia saying it plans to reopen its embassy in Pyongyang, which was closed shortly after the murder.

Vietnamese woman in Kim Jong Nam murder case arrives home

A Malaysian court Monday freed an Indonesian woman accused of assassinating the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's half-brother after prosecutors withdrew the murder charge against her.

Siti Aisyah had been accused alongside Doan Thi Huong from Vietnam of killing Kim Jong Nam by smearing VX nerve agent on his face at Kuala Lumpur airport in February 2017, in a brazen Cold War-style hit that shocked the world.

"Siti Aisyah is freed," judge Azmin Ariffin told the Shah Alam High Court, as he approved a request from the prosecutor to drop the murder charge. He granted a discharge not amounting to an acquittal.

"She can leave now."

In his request to withdraw the charge, prosecutor Muhammad Iskandar Ahmad did not give a reason for the move in court. He said Aisyah was free to leave the country.

Indonesian ambassador to Malaysia Rusdi Kirana told reporters: "We are pleased with the court decision. We will try to fly Siti back to Indonesia today or as soon as possible."

It was a surprise move as the court had been scheduled to hear Huong -- who was in court alongside Aisyah -- testify on Monday.&nbsp;

A Malaysian court Monday freed an Indonesian woman accused of assassinating the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's half-brother after prosecutors withdrew the murder charge against her.

A Malaysian court Monday freed an Indonesian woman accused of assassinating the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's half-brother after prosecutors withdrew the murder charge against her. Siti Aisyah had been accused alongside Doan Thi Huong from Vietnam of killing Kim Jong Nam by smearing VX nerve agent on his face at Kuala Lumpur airport in February 2017, in a brazen Cold War-style hit that shocked the world. "Siti Aisyah is freed," judge Azmin Ariffin told the Shah Alam High Court, as he approved a request from the prosecutor to drop the murder charge. He granted a discharge not amounting to an acquittal. "She can leave now." In his request to withdraw the charge, prosecutor Muhammad Iskandar Ahmad did not give a reason for the move in court. He said Aisyah was free to leave the country. Indonesian ambassador to Malaysia Rusdi Kirana told reporters: "We are pleased with the court decision. We will try to fly Siti back to Indonesia today or as soon as possible." It was a surprise move as the court had been scheduled to hear Huong -- who was in court alongside Aisyah -- testify on Monday.

Malaysia court frees Indonesian in Kim Jong Nam murder case

The case of two women charged in Malaysia with killing the estranged half-brother of North Korea&#39;s leader was transferred to a higher court on Tuesday, as a defence lawyer complained of not getting all of the documents he had requested.

Indonesian Siti Aishah, 25, and Doan Thi Huong, 28, from Vietnam, face the death penalty if convicted of murdering Kim Jong Nam at Kuala Lumpur airport on Feb. 13.

The two women are accused of smearing Kim&#39;s face with VX nerve agent, a chemical described by the United Nations as a weapon of mass destruction.

Aishah and Huong have told diplomats from their countries that they were unwitting pawns in what U.S. officials and South Korean intelligence have said was an assassination orchestrated by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Kim Jong Nam, the eldest son of the late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, had spoken out publicly against his family&#39;s dynastic control of the isolated, nuclear-armed nation.

Aishah and Huong were charged on March 1 but the Sepang district magistrate court had twice deferred prosecutors&#39; requests for the case to be moved to a higher court pending collection of documents.

On Tuesday, the district court judge moved the case to the Shah Alam High Court. No date was given for the first High Court hearing but prosecutor Iskandar Ahmad told reporters the court should notify them &quot;within a month&quot;.

Aishah and Huong were present for the hearing, their third court appearance, both wearing bullet-proof vests.

Aishah&#39;s lawyer, Gooi Soon Seng, told the court the police and prosecution had yet to supply the defence with documents and other evidence needed for the case.

&quot;The concept of a fair trial demands that all material documents should be supplied to the defence at the earliest opportunity,&quot; Gooi said.

Gooi said last month he feared a &quot;trial by ambush&quot; and said police had not responded to requests to provide evidence such as CCTV recordings and statements from other suspects.

Three North Korean suspects - including a diplomat - were allowed to go home in March, along with the body of Kim Jong Nam, as part of a swap deal with North Korea, which had banned nine Malaysians from leaving there.

Four other North Koreans have been identified by Malaysia as suspects. Malaysian police have said the four left Kuala Lumpur for Pyongyang on the day of the killing.

North Korea has refused to accept the dead man was leader Kim Jong Un&#39;s half-brother, and has suggested the victim died of a heart attack. It has accused Malaysia of working with South Korean and other &quot;hostile forces&quot;.

(Reuters)

On Tuesday, the district court judge moved the case to the Shah Alam High Court

The case of two women charged in Malaysia with killing the estranged half-brother of North Korea's leader was transferred to a higher court on Tuesday, as a defence lawyer complained of not getting all of the documents he had requested. Indonesian Siti Aishah, 25, and Doan Thi Huong, 28, from Vietnam, face the death penalty if convicted of murdering Kim Jong Nam at Kuala Lumpur airport on Feb. 13. The two women are accused of smearing Kim's face with VX nerve agent, a chemical described by the United Nations as a weapon of mass destruction. Aishah and Huong have told diplomats from their countries that they were unwitting pawns in what U.S. officials and South Korean intelligence have said was an assassination orchestrated by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Kim Jong Nam, the eldest son of the late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, had spoken out publicly against his family's dynastic control of the isolated, nuclear-armed nation. Aishah and Huong were charged on March 1 but the Sepang district magistrate court had twice deferred prosecutors' requests for the case to be moved to a higher court pending collection of documents. On Tuesday, the district court judge moved the case to the Shah Alam High Court. No date was given for the first High Court hearing but prosecutor Iskandar Ahmad told reporters the court should notify them "within a month". Aishah and Huong were present for the hearing, their third court appearance, both wearing bullet-proof vests. Aishah's lawyer, Gooi Soon Seng, told the court the police and prosecution had yet to supply the defence with documents and other evidence needed for the case. "The concept of a fair trial demands that all material documents should be supplied to the defence at the earliest opportunity," Gooi said. Gooi said last month he feared a "trial by ambush" and said police had not responded to requests to provide evidence such as CCTV recordings and statements from other suspects. Three North Korean suspects - including a diplomat - were allowed to go home in March, along with the body of Kim Jong Nam, as part of a swap deal with North Korea, which had banned nine Malaysians from leaving there. Four other North Koreans have been identified by Malaysia as suspects. Malaysian police have said the four left Kuala Lumpur for Pyongyang on the day of the killing. North Korea has refused to accept the dead man was leader Kim Jong Un's half-brother, and has suggested the victim died of a heart attack. It has accused Malaysia of working with South Korean and other "hostile forces". (Reuters)

Trial of Kim Jong Nam murder suspects moves to higher court in Malaysia