The U.S. government is quietly pressuring Nigeria to release Tigran Gambaryan, a Binance executive detained in the country since February.
Gambaryan has reportedly faced serious health issues while in custody, prompting calls for his release on humanitarian grounds.
Humanitarian Concerns
According to a New York Times report, two anonymous senior State Department officials revealed that U.S. diplomats have been lobbying Nigerian officials behind the scenes for his release.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken raised Gambaryan’s case directly with Nigeria’s foreign minister in May. Since then, multiple diplomats, including Ambassador Richard M. Mills Jr., have engaged in private discussions with President Bola Tinubu and several key ministers, including those responsible for finance and trade, seeking his release.
The diplomats have cited humanitarian concerns, noting that the Binance Executive has been suffering from malaria and complications related to a herniated disk. His family also claims he has not received adequate medical care in prison, worsening his condition.
The country’s officials, however, maintain that he has access to proper medical attention, with one government representative stating that “the courtroom is the correct forum to assess the merits of any prosecution.”
Bayo Onanuga, a senior adviser to President Tinubu, acknowledged the U.S. government’s concerns and confirmed that discussions were ongoing. “Government will do all it can within the law, and also bearing in mind Gambaryan’s humanitarian rights,” Onanuga said.
Richard Teng has also criticized the country’s government for its “inhumane treatment” of the company’s Head of Crime Compliance following a video showing him in distress during a court appearance.
Strained Relations
Meanwhile, according to the anonymous officials, the imprisonment of Gambaryan has become a major point of contention in U.S.-Nigeria relations.
Gambaryan’s attorneys have also requested the U.S. State Department to label him as “wrongfully detained” to increase pressure on Nigeria. In July, Rep. Rich McCormick introduced a resolution calling his detention a “hostage” situation, accusing Nigeria of holding him to extort the crypto exchange for money.
The former law enforcement officer was arrested during a business trip in Nigeria, where he held meetings about Binance’s operations there.
Authorities accused the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange of destabilizing the local economy by enabling the transfer of funds out of the country and devaluing the naira. The executive was subsequently charged with money laundering and tax evasion, though the tax charges were later dropped.
Despite these developments, Binance argues that Gambaryan should not be held accountable for the company’s actions, pointing out that he is a mid-level employee.