Two women have been charged with murdering the estranged half brother of North Korea's leader in an assassination using a super-toxic nerve agent that killed in minutes.
Siti Aishah, a 25-year-old mother of one from Jakarta, Indonesia, and Doan Thi Huong, 28, from rural northern Vietnam, face the death penalty if they are convicted of the killing of Kim Jong-nam at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on 13 February.
Police brought the two women to court handcuffed.
As they left, they were made to wear bullet-proof vests, reflecting Malaysian authorities' fears that others involved in the killing could want the women harmed.
No plea was recorded after the charges were read out against them.
But, Ms Aishah and Ms Huong have told diplomats who visited them in custody that they were unwitting pawns in an assassination that US officials and South Korean intelligence have said was organised by North Korean agents.
Ms Huong's lawyer told reporters outside the court that his client had told him she was innocent.
The next court date will be on 13 April, when prosecutors will apply for the accused to be tried jointly.
Kim Jong-nam, who had criticised the regime of his family and his half-brother Kim Jong-un, died after the two women allegedly smeared VX nerve agent, a chemical described by the United Nations as a weapon of mass destruction, across his face.
He had been preparing to catch a flight to Macau, the Chinese territory where he had been living under Beijing's protection since going into exile several years ago.
According to the charges the women and four unnamed people, who are still at large, were in the airport departure area, with the intention to murder the North Korean citizen.
One North Korean man, identified by police as Ri Jong Chol, is still in police custody and has not been charged yet.
Police have identified seven other North Koreans wanted in connection with the case, including an embassy official in Kuala Lumpur.
Amid a bitter diplomatic row, members of Malaysia's cabinet met a high-level North Korean delegation that arrived yesterday to press for the release of the citizen in custody, and for the body to be handed over.
North Korea maintains the victim is a North Korean citizen, but denies he is the half-brother of its leader Kim Jong-un.
Security camera footage, which has been broadcast by the media, showed two women assaulting Kim Jong-nam at the airport around 20 minutes before he died.
Both women have told diplomats from their countries that they had believed they were carrying out a prank for a reality television show.
Indonesian diplomats said Ms Aishah told them she was paid around €85 by whomever tricked her into taking part.
Malaysian police have said the suspects had washed their hands after the assault, and were aware that the liquid smeared on their victim's face was toxic.
