Anthony Do Kwon, a South Korean citizen, will be extradited to the United States (US) on charges of criminal conspiracy and other criminal offenses.
This was decided by the Higher Court in Podgorica. The decision is not final and Do Kwon’s lawyers have the right to appeal, „Vijesti“ reports.
The Appeals Court has previously stated that the final decision on the extradition of the „crypto king“ Do Kwon is under the jurisdiction of the court and not the Minister of Justice. It also stated that the Higher Court did not determine which country, South Korea or the US, first requested his extradition.
The Appeals Court previously annulled the first-instance decision of the Higher Court, which found that the legal prerequisites for the extradition of Do Kwon for criminal prosecution had been fulfilled based on requests from both countries.
Do Kwon and his business partner were arrested on March 23rd last year at the Podgorica airport when they used forged Costa Rican passports during passport control on a flight to Dubai.
The defenders of South Korean citizen Do Kwon, Goran Rodić and Marija Radulović, stated today that the decision of the Higher Court in Montenegro to extradite him to the United States is illegal.
„We have received the decision of the Higher Court in Podgorica on the extradition of our client to the United States. The decision is illegal, as were the previous two decisions annulled by the Appeals Court of Montenegro,“ Rodić and Radulović emphasized in a statement, as reported by Vijesti.
They added that they are not aware of any part of the world where the Minister of Justice can instruct the court on how to apply the law and what decision to make, as they claim is the case in Montenegro.
They also mentioned that in making this decision, the court did not verify the accuracy of the information provided by the Minister of Justice, although there is evidence in the case records that it concerns false information. They stated that they will provide a detailed statement in the appeal against the extradition decision. They are convinced that such an illegal decision cannot stand before the Appeals Court, nor the previous two illegal decisions.
It is still not clear what Do Kwon’s reaction to these decisions will be, and whether his defense will succeed in proving that the extradition was unjust. It remains to be seen whether this case will further complicate relations between South Korea, the US, and Montenegro regarding the handling of the case and its eventual outcome.
The case of Do Kwon and his extradition have been highly controversial and has sparked a lot of interest and debate within the cryptocurrency community. His arrest and subsequent legal processes have sparked concerns about justice and legality in the rapidly developing field of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology.
Therefore, the final outcome of this legal battle will not only have an impact on Do Kwon’s personal fate but will also have a significant impact on global legal practices regarding cryptocurrencies and their use, which continues to be a subject of intense debate and concern.
