A decision by a Montenegro high court approving the extradition of Terra founder Do Kwon to either the U.S. or South Korea has been rejected by the country's Appeals Court, a Tuesday notice shows.
The former CEO of Terra was arrested and sentenced to prison in Montenegro over charges of possessing falsified official documents. The U.S. and South Korea have requested his extradition to face criminal charges related to the collapse of his multi-billion dollar crypto enterprise Terraform Labs in May of 2022.
The Podgorica High Court in November decided that the legal prerequisites for the extradition of Kwon were met. Tuesday’s order shows Kwon’s defense successfully appealed that decision. The Appeals Court has ordered the case to be returned to the Podgorica Basic Court for retrial.
The Appeals Court rejected the extradition decision because the investigating judge failed to hear out the defendant, Kwon, with regard to the U.S. extradition request – something required by law.
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If the courts eventually approve Kwon’s extradition, the country’s Minister for Justice has the final decision.
