- The Montenegran High Court has allegedly approved Do Kwon’s extradition to South Korea
- Kwon’s planned extradition to the US was overturned yet again yesterday, prompting claims of a retrial
- The US plans to appeal the decision, suggesting the story is not over
Just one day after Do Kwon was told he would face a retrial over his extradition to the US, the Terraform Labs co-founder is apparently on his way to South Korea. The two countries have been involved in a tug-of-war over Kwon since his arrest in Montenegro in May last year, with the US looking set to receive him. However, Kwon has managed to achieve three reprieves and it seems that he will now be sent to his home country where he will face lesser charges, although the US will appeal the decision.
Yes…No…Yes…No
Bloomberg reported late yesterday that Montenegro’s High Court had ruled in favor of an extradition to South Korea around 24 hours after the US’s third attempt to bring him across the Atlantic to face the US Securities and Exchange Commission next month in a courtroom. Coindesk confirmed this through Kwon’s attorney, Goran Rodic:
The decision agrees with the evidence in the case files. Kwon finishes serving his sentence on March 23 and will be extradited after that.
This marks a departure from the reports that emerged on Wednesday, that Kwon was going to face a retrial before any decision was announced.
It seems, however, that the story may not yet be over: hours after the story broke, Bloomberg reported that the US would appeal the decision:
The United States continues to seek Kwon’s extradition in accordance with relevant international and bilateral agreements and Montenegrin law. The United States appreciates the cooperation of the Montenegrin authorities in ensuring that all individuals are subject to the rule of law.
Bloomberg also reported that South Korea’s Justice Ministry had not confirmed the extradition order, saying, “No official notification has yet been received from Montenegro.” It seems, therefore, that this story still has more legs and Kwon won’t be getting on a plane anytime soon.
