Politicians urged Biden to return Binance exec from Nigeria
A number of US politicians have called on President Joe Biden and the hostage squad to try to bring Binance employee Tigran Gambarian, who has been in prison for more than three months in Nigeria on money laundering and tax evasion charges.
In a June 4 letter to President Biden, Secretary Anthony Blinken and the President's Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs, Roger D. Carstens, 12 US politicians urged Gambarian to be “wrongfully detained” by the Nigerian government and that action should be taken sooner. The situation is getting worse.
“We fear for his life. Immediate action is necessary to ensure his safety and protect his life. We must act quickly before it is too late.”
US politicians are looking for a special presidential envoy to deal specifically with the Gambian issue, Fox Business reporter Eleanor Terrett shared on X.
The letter, signed mostly by members of Congress, accused Gambarian of various “baseless” crimes, including money laundering and tax evasion; Nigerian authorities believe this is a coercion tactic to exploit Binance.
Gambaryan, who serves as the head of financial crime compliance of the cryptocurrency exchange, traveled to Nigeria on February 26 after the Nigerian government invited him to resolve the compliance issues of Binance in the country.
However, after the two meetings, the Nigerian authorities took over the Gambia, which started off as professional and then increasingly hostile.
The Binance executive is currently in Nigeria's “infamous” Kuje prison, known for harsh conditions. “He has been fighting for his life in a prison cell designed to hold ISIS fighters,” US politicians said.
American politicians said that a court order to send Gambarian to a private hospital for treatment after he confirmed he was infected with malaria was not carried out.
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Gambarian was denied bail on May 18. Four days later, on May 22, Gambarian failed to appear at a scheduled court hearing. The court, the prosecution and the defense team were unaware of his whereabouts and circumstances.
US politicians Gambarian was present when the court reconvened the next day. However, they say his physical condition has deteriorated significantly.
“When Mr. Gambarian was asked by the judge to step forward, he was unable to stand on his own and eventually fell to the floor.”
US officials also said Gambarian was not allowed to meet the legal team without Nigerian officials and armed guards present.
Prior to Binance, Gambrian was a federal agent and worked for the Internal Revenue Service for ten years.
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