The extradition of Terra founder Do Kwon from Montenegro to South Korea has been temporarily suspended by Montenegro’s Supreme Court. The decision, issued on Friday, overturns previous rulings from lower courts that approved Kwon’s extradition to his home country, CoinDesk said in a report.
Kwon has been held in Montenegro since March 2023, following his arrest for attempting to use counterfeit Costa Rican documents while traveling to Dubai. This arrest came after several months of evasion.
The latest decision has put a pause on the ongoing legal battle between South Korea and the United States for jurisdiction over Kwon. Both nations seek to prosecute him for criminal charges, including fraud, related to the collapse of the $40 billion Terra ecosystem in May 2022.
Despite a year-long resistance to extradition, a recent ruling by a Montenegrin Appellate court appeared to seal Kwon’s fate, favoring his extradition to South Korea. However, the intervention of the country’s top prosecutor has changed the course of events.
The Office of the Supreme State Prosecutor released a statement on Thursday arguing that the court’s decision exceeded its authority. According to the prosecutor, only the country’s justice minister has the power to determine Kwon’s extradition destination.
As a result, the Supreme Court has halted Kwon’s extradition “until a decision is made.” Meanwhile, Terraform Labs, a company founded by Kwon, is scheduled to stand trial next week to face charges filed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
