A Montenegrin Higher Court in Podgorica, denied the appeal of Terra’s co-founder, Do Kwon, upholding the judgment of the Basic Court sentencing him and Han Chang-joon to four months in prison for passport forgery.
Local news agencies reported on November 16 that the Higher Court in Podgorica, Montenegro, rejected the appeals of the Basic State Prosecutor’s Office and the defense attorneys of Do Kwon and Han Chang-joon against the verdict of the Basic Court, deeming them “unfounded.”
The court issued the following statement: “According to the Council of the Higher Court in Podgorica, the first-instance court accurately and comprehensively ascertained the factual circumstances, applied the Criminal Code of Montenegro correctly, and assessed and determined all relevant factors that impact the determination of the criminal sanction and its magnitude.”
The superior court maintains that the lower court has thoroughly assessed the offense’s seriousness and the defendants’ character as its offenders.
Additionally, in the wake of the passport forgery case, former Terra executives will be subject to extradition proceedings, most likely to their country of origin, South Korea.
Do Kwon and Han Chang-joon’s attorney, Goran Rodi, stated in June that extradition proceedings are imminent. However, their primary objective will be to lodge a formal complaint regarding the detention.
As the superior court rejected all appeals, extradition of the executives to South Korea is probable. In the interim, a High Court of Montenegro is also considering extradition both South Korean nationals to its jurisdiction to accelerate the extradition process.
