Binance Vs Nigeria: US Lawmakers Call For Release Of Detained Exec After Prison Visit

US lawmakers continue to call for the release of the detained Binance executive Tigran Gambaryan. The ongoing saga between the crypto exchange and the Nigerian authorities intensified when several US Congress members sent a letter urging the Biden administration to take action.

This week, two US representatives visited Gamabaryan in prison during their trip to Nigeria. The politicians shared details about the executive’s alarming condition and urged for his “humanitarian release.”

US Lawmakers Continue To Call For Action

On Thursday, US representatives French Hill and Chrissy Houlahan called for the immediate liberation of former federal agent Tigran Gambaryan. Gambaryan was detained, alongside his colleague Nadeem Anjarwalla, by Nigerian authorities on February 26 and was accused of tax evasion and money laundering.

Since then, several politicians and industry leaders have requested the release of the Binance executive. Richard Teng, Binance’s CEO, released an open letter vouching for Gambaryan. Teng stated that the Nigerian authorities were cracking down on a mid-level employee who didn’t visit the country as a decision-maker or a negotiator.

Moreover, he accused authorities of using an innocent employee as a tool against the crypto exchange. Several US Congress members also voiced this sentiment in a letter to President Biden.

On June 4, sixteen House members urged the Biden administration to act “before it’s too late,” arguing that the charges against the executive are “baseless and constitute a coercion tactic by the Nigerian government to extort his employer, Binance.”

The politicians painted a worrying picture of the executive’s health in the letter. Reports of Gambaryan’s health condition appeared after he collapsed in a court hearing on May 22. The executive tested positive for malaria and had allegedly been denied proper medical assistance.

Binance Executive’s Condition Remains Critical

The Binance executive saw a small victory by dropping some charges against him. As reported by Bitcoinist, Nigerian authorities withdrew the tax evasion charges after Binance appointed a local representative to handle the legal dispute against the exchange.

Nonetheless, Gambaryan and Anjarwalla, who escaped from detention in March, still face money laundering charges. As a result, the detained executive remains in custody at the Kuje Prison in Nigeria.

On June 19, US representatives Hill and Houlahan visited the former federal agent on his cell, where they found his condition had worsened.

Per the post, the politicians visited the country “on a national security visit to talk about America’s support of Nigeria and other countries in West Africa in the fight against terrorism.”

Hill noted that they took the opportunity to advocate for the Binance executive and see the “horrible prison” where he is wrongfully detained. Moreover, the representative detailed they found the executive still suffering from malaria and double pneumonia.

Gambaryan also told the politicians he has lost significant weight and is still being denied access to adequate medical attention despite the court ruling that ordered he be taken to a medical facility for treatment.

Following their visit, Representatives Hill and Houlahan asked that Gambaryan be granted a humanitarian release to ensure his safe return to the US:

Tigran must be immediately granted a humanitarian release, the remaining charges dropped, and he must return home to America where he belongs.