Key takeaways:
- Tigran Gambaryan is said to have received requests from several US lawmakers for President Joe Biden and the hostage affairs section to attempt to bring him home.
- Gambaryan was detained by Nigerian authorities following two encounters that were regarded as professional at first but turned progressively confrontational.
Tigran Gambaryan, a worker at Binance who has been detained in Nigeria for more than three months on suspicion of money laundering and tax evasion, is said to have received requests from several US lawmakers for President Joe Biden and the hostage affairs section to attempt to bring him home.
In a letter dated June 4, twelve US politicians urged President Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger D. Carstens to take immediate action regarding the case of Gambaryan, who they assert is “wrongfully detained” by the Nigerian government. They emphasized the urgency of addressing this issue to prevent further deterioration.
“We fear for his life. Immediate action is essential to ensure his safety and preservice his life. We must act swiftly before it is too late.”
The letter, released on X by Fox Business reporter Eleanor Terrett, stated that the US officials expressly wanted the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs to handle Gambaryan’s situation.
The letter, which was primarily signed by Congressmen, stated that Gambaryan had been accused of several “baseless” offenses, such as tax evasion and money laundering, and that they believed this was all part of a plot by Nigerian officials to use pressure to extract money from Binance.
The Nigerian government requested Gambaryan, who oversees the cryptocurrency exchange’s financial crime compliance, to visit the country on February 26 in order to discuss Binance’s compliance concerns.
However, Gambaryan was detained by Nigerian authorities following two encounters that were regarded as professional at first but turned progressively confrontational.
Currently residing in Nigeria’s “notorious” Kuje Prison—a notorious prison with horrific conditions—is the Binance executive. According to the US lawmakers, he has been struggling “for his life inside a prison cell designed to hold ISIS combatants.”
The US lawmakers claimed that Gambaryan has since tested positive for malaria and that a court order to transfer him to a private hospital for private treatment has not been complied with.
On May 18, Gambaryan was not granted bail. Four days later, on May 22, Gambaryan did not show up for a planned court appearance. His whereabouts and condition were unknown to the court, prosecutors, and defense team.
Politicians in the US said that Gambaryan was present when the court met again the following day. But his physical condition had clearly deteriorated, they claimed.
The US lawmakers added that Gambaryan hadn’t been permitted to speak with his legal team without armed guards and Nigerian authorities present. Gambaryan spent seven years as an Internal Revenue Service agent before joining Binance.
