Do Kwon, founder of Terraform Labs, faces a lengthy period in a Montenegro jail while awaiting potential extradition for document forgery.
Do Kwon, the founder of Terraform Labs, finds himself in a dire situation, incarcerated in a Montenegro jail while awaiting potential indictment for alleged document forgery. An anonymous criminal defense lawyer in the country shared the distressing reality of Kwon’s current daily life. The lawyer noted that the conditions Kwon now endures in prison are drastically different when compared to the private jet that Do Kwon intended to use.
Do Kwon and Luna CFO in handcuffs 🚨 pic.twitter.com/v8mxN0Dzkb
— Altcoin Daily (@AltcoinDailyio) March 24, 2023
Montenegro Prison Conditions
According to the anonymous lawyer, conditions in Montenegro’s prisons are harsh, overcrowded, and remain unchanged since a 2020 report on human rights abuses by the US Department of State. After they’re arrested, prisoners have a mandatory 10-day quarantine period to ensure they’re free of COVID-19. The lawyer revealed that the quarantine rooms were bearable as only one or two people share them. However, after the quarantine, detainees then go to a general facility, where conditions are considerably worse.
Prisoners in general facilities stay in a small 8-meter square room. They are overcrowded and devoid of adequate bedding. The average number of people in each cell ranges from 10 to 11, and there is barely any room to move around. Detainees have only 30 minutes to take a walk around the block daily and can buy necessities such as coffee and cigarettes from the commissary.
Extradition procedures
Do Kwon’s hope for extradition to countries with better jail conditions such as the US and South Korea may not materialize. Both countries have filed their criminal charges against Kwon and requested his extradition, but Montenegro holds the final decision. The country’s Justice Minister, Marko Kovac, announced on Wednesday that extradition proceedings had commenced since international arrest warrants were issued before Kwon’s detention in Montenegro. Kovac further stated that there was no extradition request from Singapore, which had recently opened an official investigation into Kwon’s case.
So Do Kwon, a south Korean citizen, who was staying in Europe gets now charged by… the US?
He was neither living in the US nor has an US passport but still falls under US jurisdiction?
Does that mean every human being in the world has to follow US laws?
— Ponzi_Ninja (@scrt_ninja) March 24, 2023
The Montenegrin court must try Kwon for his alleged crimes before potential extradition to any other country. The criminal defense lawyer opined that this process could take a year, as a trial takes around four to five months, and Montenegro intends to indict Kwon within a month. The lawyer believes that Kwon’s appeal may fail, and he may appeal to a higher court in Montenegro, but this would take at least three to four months. If Kwon’s appeal fails again, he can only appeal to the Supreme Court after serving one year of his sentence.
According to the anonymous criminal defense lawyer, Do Kwon faces a possible jail sentence of between six months to five years if indicted. This underscores the grave nature of the charges against Kwon, which he denies.
Implications
Do Kwon’s current predicament is dire, and he could spend an extended period in Montenegro’s harsh prison conditions awaiting trial and possible extradition. He will have to endure the harsh conditions of Montenegro’s prison system until his trial and potential extradition are complete.
As for Terraform Labs, despite Kwon resigning as CEO in May 2021, he remained on the board of directors until his resignation in February 2022. Terraform Labs has yet to issue any public statement regarding Kwon’s detention, and it is unclear whether he can continue to serve on the board while in prison.
