Montenegro Justice Minister Approves Do Kwon’s U.S. Extradition
Montenegro’s Minister of Justice, Bojan Božović, has given the green light for Terraform founder Do Kwon to be extradited to the United States, rather than South Korea. This decision comes after a long legal battle and multiple court rulings on the matter. Kwon, who was arrested in Montenegro in March of 2023, has been facing charges related to the collapse of the Terra/Luna system in 2022.
Legal Battle and Supreme Court Ruling
After being sentenced to a few months in prison for passport forgery charges, Kwon has been fighting against his extradition to the U.S. for over a year. The U.S. and South Korean governments have both sought custody of Kwon to face criminal charges. The Montenegrin Justice Minister’s decision to approve the extradition follows the country’s Supreme Court ruling that the necessary conditions had been met for extradition.
In a statement, Božović explained that various factors were considered in making this decision, including the gravity of the criminal acts, the place of execution, the order of submission of the request, the citizenship of the requested person, and the possibility of further extradition to another country. The U.S. bid met these criteria, leading to the approval of the extradition.
Legal Fallout and Settlement
The legal issues surrounding Terra do not end with Kwon’s extradition. Last week, the Securities and Exchange Commission settled charges with Tai Mo Shan, a subsidiary of Jump Crypto, over the sale of LUNA as a security. As part of the settlement, the company will pay $123 million.
Expert Commentary by Nikhilesh De
Nikhilesh De, CoinDesk’s managing editor for global policy and regulation, highlighted the significance of the Minister’s decision. De, who is well-versed in digital assets and policy, emphasized the impact of this extradition approval on the ongoing legal battles within the crypto industry.
As this high-profile case continues to unfold, the decisions made by the Montenegrin government and the implications for the crypto community will be closely watched. Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story.
