Binance urges US to intervene amid Nigeria-held exec's declining health as hearing is brought forward

Crypto exchange Binance has urged the U.S. government and organizations globally to exert political pressure to secure the release of its executive Tigran Gambaryan on humanitarian grounds and to protest against Nigeria's “unjust detention practices.”

Gambaryan has been held by Nigerian authorities for six months, with his physical and mental health deteriorating rapidly, according to a Tuesday statement from Binance CEO Richard Teng — reiterating prior calls for the U.S. citizen to be allowed to return home.

Gambaryan, a former Special Agent for the U.S. IRS and Binance’s Head of Financial Compliance, and Nadeem Anjarwalla, Binance’s Africa Regional Manager, were detained following their arrival in Nigeria’s capital city, Abuja, on Feb. 26, amid accusations of Binance making illegal-transaction profits locally. Criminal charges were filed against Binance and the two executives on Feb. 28 in a $35 million money laundering and tax violation indictment. The tax charges against the executives were later dropped in June. Anjarwalla escaped from custody on March 22, though Gambaryan remains in detention.

“Despite Tigran being in severe pain and unable to walk, the Nigerian government has refused to provide him with necessary medical care or access to legal counsel, which is unconstitutional. He has also been denied access to U.S. consular support,” Teng wrote in the statement. “The Nigerian government justifies Tigran’s detention with baseless allegations linking Binance to the country's economic issues, including the Naira’s decline. This claim is not backed up by facts,” he added.

Gambaryan filed a lawsuit against Nigeria’s National Security Adviser and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for violating his basic human rights in March.

Teng claimed that the reason the Nigerian government was continuing to hold Gambaryan was the prosecution counsel’s statement during a bail application hearing that “Binance is operating virtually. The only thing we have to hold on to is this defendant.”

“There is no need to imprison an innocent employee to answer for any allegations against Binance. We have settled issues in countries around the world … without threat or harm inflicted on our employees,” Teng said.

U.S. lawmakers, reps. French Hill, R-Ark., and Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., previously visited Gambaryan in June, calling for him to be immediately released and saying he was suffering from malaria and pneumonia. 

Following their visit, the Nigerian government called the allegations of poor healthcare "false," asserting that Gambaryan "has access to quality medical care whenever required" along with consular services from the United States.  

Gambaryan’s family pleads for his release as court hearing is brought forward

In a statement on the sixth-month anniversary of the Binance executive’s detention on Monday, Gambaryan’s wife Yuki released a plea for his release “before the damage done to him is irreversible.”

“Tigran Gambaryan, my husband, a former U.S. federal agent, has now been detained in a Nigerian prison for half a year. His health is deteriorating to the point where he can no longer walk and he is being inhumanely denied the use of a wheelchair. Between bouts of malaria, pneumonia, and the incredible mental toll of his detention, Tigran, who is usually so strong, is reaching a breaking point. He needs immediate medical treatment and risks permanent damage,” Yuki Gambaryan said.

“For six months, our living nightmare has been filled with pleas. Pleas to the U.S. government, pleas to the Nigerian government, pleas to the media, pleas to anyone who will listen. I am pleading for their mercy, for their understanding, for their humanity. My husband is innocent and needs to be released before it is too late and the damage done to him is irreversible. Six months is too long, please help me bring my husband home," she added.

The Gambaryan family also claimed from July 26 to Aug. 14 his lawyers were not allowed to enter the prison to prepare for his trial and have only allowed a brief five-minute visit since.

After the court went into recess on July 16, an application to have the case heard during the recess was approved so the next hearing date, previously adjourned until Oct. 11, will now resume on Sept. 2, the family confirmed. 

Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Block.