INDONESIAN Siti Aisyah’s freedom from a murder charge against North Korean Kim Jong-nam was the result of a long negotiation process between Jakarta and Putrajaya at the orders of President Joko Widodo, said the Indonesian embassy in Kuala Lumpur today.

In a statement after Siti Aisyah was discharged without an acquittal, the embassy said Widodo had ordered efforts to secure her release immediately after she was arrested on February 15, 2017, two days after Jong-nam, the half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, was murdered at Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2.

“In line with the president’s orders, this issue was always raised at every bilateral meeting between Indonesia and Malaysia, at every level from the president to foreign ministers or at the ministerial level.

“This issue was also discussed between the president and Malaysian prime minister on June 29, 2018 in Bogor,” said the embassy.

It added that the final process to secure Siti Aisyah’s release was done through mutual legal assistance between the two countries.

The murder charge against Siti Aisyah was dropped this morning at the Shah Alam court after prosecutors said, without giving a reason, that they wanted to withdraw the charge.

The Indonesian had been jointly charged with Vietnamese national Doan Thi Huong a year and a half ago.

At the start of today’s hearing, prosecutor Muhammad Iskandar Ahmad requested that the murder charge against Siti Aisyah be withdrawn and that she be given a discharge.

He gave no reason for the request.

Indonesian portal Detik.com, however, reported that the republic’s minister of law and human rights had sought a discharge with the Malaysian public prosecutor on grounds that Siti Aisyah was convinced she had been roped into a reality show and had no intention of killing Jong-nam.

Siti Aisyah and Doan were accused of smearing a nerve agent on Jong-nam’s face at the airport, causing his death.

Doan’s trial has been put on hold following Siti Aisyah’s discharge.

Lawyers for both women had previously said they were pawns in a political assassination and had no intention to kill.

Four North Koreans – formally accused of the murder alongside the women – fled Malaysia shortly after the murder.

Pyongyang has denied ordering the murder of Jong-nam, who was speculated to be a threat to Jong-un’s rule. – March 11, 2019.