It has been almost eight months since Binance executive and former IRS agent, Tigran Gambaryan, has been wrongfully detained in Nigeria over a feud between the African nation and the world’s largest crypto exchange. In the latest blow to his fight for freedom, he was denied bail by a Nigerian judge on Friday despite his deteriorating health.
Gambaryan was jailed in February after visiting Nigeria to address allegations that Binance was undermining the local currency, which began to crash in May 2023. Economists have laid the blame for this on corruption and economic mismanagement by the country’s leaders—but, in what critics say is an effort to find a scapegoat, Nigerian officials arrested Gambaryan and another Binance executive and charged them with financial crimes.
Since his detention, Gambaryan’s condition has worsened significantly. He is now being held at Nigeria's notorious Kuje prison alongside members of the Boko Haram terrorist group and has been denied access to his legal team. Throughout his time in prison he has suffered from malaria, tonsillitis, pneumonia, and complications from a herniated disc in his back which requires “high-risk specialized surgery.”
While he sits in a cell thousands of miles away from his wife and children in Georgia, U.S. representatives and Binance executives have intensified calls for his release. His wife, Yuki Gambaryan, has continued to fight for his freedom since he was detained.
Following the hearing on Friday, a Binance spokesperson said in a statement, ”He has been unlawfully detained for over 220 days. 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.”
While initially reluctant to get involved, U.S. officials began to advocate for Gambaryan’s release over the summer. Most recently, Rep. Rich McCormick (R-Ga.), a member of the Armed Services and Foreign Affairs Committees, called upon the U.S. State Department to take a stronger stance in talks with Nigeria. “All cards should be on the table. We should be putting enormous leverage against Nigeria until they release him or at least turn him over to the consulate to be treated fairly, he get an expedient case with a legitimate charge,” McCormick said on the Illicit Edge podcast.
In June, 16 bipartisan U.S. lawmakers sent a letter to President Joe Biden urging for Gambaryan to be released, while over 100 U.S. prosecutors and special agents sent a similar letter to the U.S. State Department. In the following weeks, Rep. French Hill (R-Ark.) and Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.) visited Gambaryan in the Nigerian prison. Also in June, Nigeria dropped some charges against Gambaryan after FBI director Christoper Wray visited the country on an unrelated matter.
Gambaryan’s ongoing detention came after the State Department negotiated the release of basketball player Brittany Griner and journalist Evan Gershkovich from Russia earlier this year. Both Americans had received a “wrongfully detained” designation, which made their release a top priority with a special agency within the State Department. Gambaryan has yet to receive that designation to the frustration of his family and others, likely because Nigeria is a nominal ally of the U.S.
By Catherine McGrath, Fortune
Related stories: US Urges Nigeria to release Binance executive as health worsens
Video - Detained Binance executive appears in court in Nigeria for tax, money laundry charges
