Binance exec Tigran Gambaryan again denied bail in Nigeria despite 'clear evidence of medical requirement,' family says

Binance exec Tigran Gambaryan was again denied bail by a Nigerian court on Friday amid "clear evidence of medical requirement," according to a family statement shared with The Block. 

Since his transfer to Kuje prison in March, Gambaryan’s physical and mental health has deteriorated rapidly, having suffered a herniated disc in his back and bouts of pneumonia, malaria and tonsillitis.

He can no longer walk without assistance and was denied the use of a wheelchair when entering the Abuja court. In a distressed state, he used crutches as his trial resumed on Sept. 2, when the bail decision was initially deferred.

“Several doctors, including the prison’s own doctor, have clearly reported that Tigran requires medical help that the prison cannot provide,” the family said.

The Binance executive was previously denied bail in May, with his lawyers claiming last month that his detention conditions meant they could not meet with him to prepare for trial.

“We all know that Tigran was never a decision-maker at Binance and that he is entirely innocent but I am not surprised by this decision,” Yuki Gambaryan said. “It is completely unjust to deny someone in Tigran’s condition the opportunity to seek appropriate medical help and I just pray that when he is finally released that the damage he is suffering is not permanent. I am exhausted and deeply disappointed, but I will continue fighting for my husband’s rightful freedom."

“He has been unlawfully detained for over 220 days,” a Binance spokesperson told The Block, expressing the exchange's disappointment at the court’s decision given his deteriorating health. “Tigran did not go to Nigeria as a decision-maker and there is no good reason to continue to hold him. We are committed to working with the Nigerian government to resolve issues, but Tigran must be allowed to go home,” the spokesperson added.

Following the court's decision on the bail application, the cross-examination of a central bank witness resumed in the trial, according to the family’s statement.

Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the agency that is prosecuting the case, did not respond to a request for comment from The Block.

Detained since February

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 profits from illegal transactions 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, leaving Binance as the sole defendant, but the money laundering charges against all the defendants remain. Anjarwalla escaped from custody on March 22, though Gambaryan remained in detention.

The Nigerian government previously called the allegations of Gambaryan’s poor healthcare "false," asserting that the Binance executive "has access to quality medical care whenever required" along with consular services from the United States.

Yuki Gambaryan has repeatedly called for the U.S. to intervene in the case and bring her husband home. The U.S. Foreign Affairs Committee passed a resolution demanding Gambaryan's release last month, which will be brought to the full U.S. House floor when Congress is back in session after the elections.