Murder of Shaaribuugiin Altantuyaa | |
---|---|
Court | Shah Alam High Court |
Decided | 9 April 2009 |
Court membership | |
Judge(s) sitting | Mohd. Zaki Mohd. Yasin |
Keywords | |
Murder |
Shaariibuugiin Altantuyaa (Mongolian: Шаарийбуугийн Алтантуяа; sometimes also Altantuya Shaariibuu; 6 May 1978 – 18 October 2006), a Mongolian national, was a murder victim who was either murdered by C-4 explosives or was somehow killed first and her remains destroyed with C-4 on 18 October 2006 in a deserted area in Shah Alam, Malaysia near Kuala Lumpur. Her murder case is significant in contemporary Malaysian politics due to the alleged involvement of persons close to Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.
The Shah Alam High Court originally acquitted Abdul Razak Baginda and meted out the death sentence to two of the accused, Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri and Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar, on 9 April 2009, wrapping up the 159-day trial. On 23 August 2013, Sirul and Azilah were acquitted by the Court of Appeal, sparking controversy. On 13 January 2015, The Federal Court overturned the acquittal of both individuals, finding them both guilty of murder and sentenced both of them to death. However, Sirul fled to Australia and efforts by the Malaysian authorities to extradite him were hampered by existing Australian legislation prohibiting the extradition of individuals to countries with the death penalty.
Altantuyaa was born in 1978. She and her sister were raised in Russia where Altantuyaa started first grade elementary school. She was reportedly fluent in Mongolian, Russian, Chinese, and English, and knew some French.
Altantuyaa moved back to Mongolia in 1990 and a few years later, married a Mongolian techno singer, Maadai. They had a child in 1996 but the marriage ended in divorce and the child went to live with Altantuyaa's parents. Despite training as a teacher, Altantuyaa briefly moved to France where she attended modelling school before returning to Mongolia.