Terraform Labs founder Do Kwon could be in for a rough year in a Montenegrin prison cell.
A criminal defense lawyer in Montenegro, where Do Kwon has been detained on forgery charges, outlined the harsh conditions prevalent in the country’s prisons to Protos. According to the lawyer, a human rights report from the U.S. Department of State paints an accurate picture of the overcrowding and poor conditions seen in Montenegro’s detention facilities today.
The report details that many prisoners in multiple-occupancy cells were confined to their cells for 23 hours a day, without being offered activities for months or even years on end.
“Rooms are 8 meters squared and very crowded. There’s about 10 to 11 people in a room — there’s usually not even a bed,” he said.
After a 10-day quarantine period, Kwon will likely be moved to one of these rooms in a general facility as he awaits trial.
The lawyer also believes that it will be at least a year before any extradition agreements are made, either with the U.S. or South Korea, meaning the Terraform Labs founder will likely be detained in Montenegro for the entire period.
South Korea and the U.S. have already requested Kwon’s extradition, said Montenegro’s Justice Minister Marko Kovac in a press conference on Wednesday. As for which country’s extradition requests should take precedence, Kovac explained that authorities assess them based on the severity of charges, the location and time and the order in which those requests were received.
In the meantime, Kwon will be tried on charges of forging travel documents in Montenegro and prosecutors plan to indict him within a month. If found guilty, he could see prison time of between six months to five years.
Kwon has denied these charges and has already appealed a 30-day extended detention order. If this appeal fails, Kwon will appeal to the higher court in Montenegro, but his sentencing would still be carried out.
