The Montenegro Higher Court has upheld the June verdict of the Basic Court, affirming the four-month imprisonment sentence for South Korean citizens Do Kwon and Han Chang-joon in a passport forgery lawsuit. Former executives of Terraform, they are also set to face extradition proceedings, likely leading to their return to South Korea.
Montenegro court rejects appeals by Do Kwon and Han Chang-joon On November 16, local news outlets reported that the Higher Court in Podgorica, Montenegro, dismissed the appeals filed by the Basic State Prosecutor’s Office and the defense attorneys of Do Kwon and Han Chang-joon, deeming them ‘unfounded.’
According to a statement from the court:
“The Council of the Higher Court in Podgorica indicated that the first-instance court correctly and completely determined the factual situation, that it correctly applied the Criminal Code of Montenegro, as well as that it determined and evaluated all the circumstances that have an influence on the choice of the criminal sanction and its amount.”
The higher court emphasized that the basic court thoroughly assessed the gravity of the committed crime and the personalities of the defendants as perpetrators.
Extradition Proceedings to South Korea Goran Rodić, the lawyer representing Do Kwon and Han Chang-joon, stated in June that extradition proceedings were set to commence, with a focus on initially filing a complaint against the detention.
With the rejection of all appeals by the higher court, it is likely that the executives will be extradited to South Korea. Simultaneously, the Montenegro High Court is actively pursuing the extradition of both South Korean citizens to their home country, expediting the overall proceedings.
