- The Montenegrin Court of Appeals overturned an earlier ruling by the Montenegro High Court.
- Remanding the matter for a new trial, the court overturned the lower court’s ruling.
A court in Montenegro has approved an appeal by Terra co-founder Do Kwon to deny extradition, sending the matter back to the initial place for a new trial and eventual conclusion.
In a filing dated February 8, the Montenegrin Court of Appeals overturned an earlier ruling by the Montenegro High Court that had ordered Do Kwon’s extradition. Remanding the matter for a new trial, the court overturned the lower court’s ruling.
Serious Breaches of Criminal Process
The appellate court agreed with Do Kwon that there were serious breaches of the criminal process decision’s requirements and hence approved his appeal. When Do Kwon’s lawyers complained that the “wording of the decision is incomprehensible,” the judge agreed with them.
The extradition demands from the U.S and South Korea were not adequately addressed by the trial court. Furthermore, the high court erred in its application of the extradition procedure’s legal rules.
The appellate court mentioned:
“In accordance with Article 29 of the Law on International Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters, and not the Minister of Justice, unlike the regular procedure, makes a decision on extradition.”
After completing his time in Montenegro, Han Chang-joon, who was the former CFO of Terraform Labs, was deported to South Korea. In March 2023, while trying to flee the nation, he was apprehended at the Podgorica airport with Do Kwon.
The crypto market sank owing to the $60 billion Terra-LUNA collapse, which might result in Han Chang-Joon’s potential life imprisonment in South Korea.