Vietnamese suspect in DPRK man's murder case released from prison

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A Vietnamese woman accused of assassinating a Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) man in 2017 in Malaysia was freed from prison on Friday.

Doan Thi Huong, 30, was "released at about 7:20 a.m." (Thursday, 11:20 p.m. Greenwich Mean Time) from a prison outside the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur, her lawyer Hisyam Teh Poh Teik told AFP. Journalists waiting outside the jail saw a van and a car with tinted windows race past.

Ahead of her release, Hisyam had said she was "definitely looking forward to going home."

The 30-year-old former hair salon worker was expected to head to an immigration office in the administrative capital Putrajaya to sort out documentation, before flying to Vietnam in the evening.

Confirming Huong's release on Friday, a Vietnam embassy translator told Reuters that she looked “happy” but couldn't give further details.

A prision security officer stands guard as members of the media await the release of Vietnamese Doan Thi Huong from a prison in Kajang, Malaysia, May 3, 2019. /Reuters Photo

An immigration vehicle believed to be carrying Vietnamese Doan Thi Huong leaves a prision after she was released in Kajang, Malaysia, May 3, 2019. /Reuters Photo

Members of the media wait for the release of Vietnamese Doan Thi Huong from a prison in Kajang, Malaysia, May 3, 2019. /Reuters Photo

Huong pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of causing injury after prosecutors dropped the murder charge, which carries a mandatory capital punishment if convicted, against her on April 1. She was sentenced to 40 months in prison, which was counted from February 15, 2017, the date of her arrest.

"I love you so much thank you so much. I am happy. Thank you for the government of Malaysia," a visibly relieved Huong told reporters after that verdict as she smiled and waved while being led away by police.

Earlier in March, her co-defendant Indonesian Siti Aisyah, 27, was released after prosecutors unexpectedly withdrew the murder charge against her.

Both, Huong and Aisyah, were accused of smearing the DPRK man with a nerve agent at Kuala Lumpur airport on February 13, 2017, resulting in his death. The pair always denied having committed murder, arguing that they were pawns in a larger conspiracy.

While there is relief for the women – who said they believed they were taking part in a TV show prank – those behind the plot are unlikely to ever face justice. "The assassins have not been brought to justice," said Hisyam.

(Cover: Doan Thi Huong smiles after she leaves the court in a van in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, April 1, 2019. /AFP Photo)

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Source(s): AP ,AFP