Vietnam suspect in Kim Jong Nam’s killing freed from prison

(FILES) In this file photo taken on March 14, 2019, Vietnamese national Doan Thi Huong, accused of murdering Kim Jong Nam, the half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, boards a car after appearing at the Shah Alam High Court, outside Kuala Lumpur. – Doan Thi Huong, the Vietnamese woman accused of assassinating the North Korean leader’s half-brother, was freed from prison on May 3, ending legal proceedings stemming from the shocking hit despite criticism that the real culprits never faced justice. (Photo by MOHD RASFAN / AFP)

KAJANG, Malaysia  — A Vietnamese embassy translator says the Vietnamese woman who was tried for the killing of the estranged half-brother of North Korea’s leader has been released from a Malaysian prison.

Maridam Yacfar told reporters at the prison Friday that Doan Thi Huong looked “happy” but couldn’t give further details. Huong’s lawyers have said she is expected to be taken to the immigration office before flying back to Hanoi later Friday.

Huong pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of causing injury after prosecutors dropped the murder charge against her. She was sentenced to 40 months in prison. Her co-defendant Indonesian Siti Aisyah was released in March after prosecutors unexpectedly withdrew the murder charge against her.

They were accused of killing Kim Jong Nam at a Kuala Lumpur airport in February 2017. /muf