U.S. lawmakers visit imprisoned Binance executive in Nigeria

US lawmakers Chrissy Houlahan and French Hill recently called for the release of Tigran Gambaryan after visiting him in a Nigerian prison.

The Binance executive is currently facing serious money laundering charges allegedly related to his relationship with Binance, a global cryptocurrency exchange.

Gambaryan suffered from malaria and double pneumonia, had lost weight, and was denied access to adequate medical care, Hill said.

“Tigran must be granted immediate humanitarian release, the remaining charges must be dropped, and he must be returned to America where he belongs,” Hill said.

Republican representative Hill from Arkansas and Democratic representative Houlahan from Pennsylvania were visiting the country to discuss counterterrorism efforts.

Hill stated that he wanted the US embassy to support Gambaryan’s release due to prison conditions and his health condition.

Nigeria dropped tax charges against two Binance executives last week, but Gambaryan remains in custody.

Letter to President Biden

On June 4, politicians in the US called on President Joe Biden to initiate efforts to bring back the detained Binance executive. The letter, signed mostly by members of Congress, was addressed to the President, Secretary Antony Blinken, and the President’s Ambassador for Hostage Affairs Roger D. Carstens.

In the letter, politicians expressed concern about Gambaryan’s “unfair detention” by the Nigerian government.

“We fear for his life. Immediate action is essential to ensure his safety and save his life. We must act quickly before it is too late,” lawmakers wrote.

Background

Binance executives Tigran Gambaryan and Nadeem Anjarwall were arrested in February and charged with criminal violations by the Nigerian government. While Gambaryan was awaiting trial, Anjarwall escaped from custody and was extradited from Kenya to Nigeria.

The two men traveled to Nigeria on behalf of Binance to discuss regulatory issues and the government’s recent crackdown on cryptocurrency trading platforms with officials. After the talks, they were arrested and detained by the government without their passports.

Binance is trying to convince Nigerian officials that Gambaryan does not have decision-making authority at the company. They argued that he was not required to appear in court on any charges and should be released.