Rich McCormick has submitted a resolution to the US Congress for approval, calling on lawmakers to officially assign the status of a "hostage" to Tigran Gambaryan, head of the Binance Financial Crimes Department.
The congressman said that since February, Nigeria has been unlawfully holding Gambarian in prison "for the purpose of pressure and extortion of money" from the Binance cryptocurrency exchange. He called on the US government to take emergency measures and influence the Nigerian authorities to release Gambarian from custody and provide him with the necessary medical care.
"Tigran Gambaryan's imprisonment has been going on since February 2024. If Gambaryan's case is not closed by the end of July, he may remain in custody for an even longer and unjustified period of time, since the court usually takes a break from mid—July to September," McCormick said.
Earlier, the Minister of Information of Nigeria denied the claim of congressmen from the United States that Tigran Gambaryan, held by the authorities of the African country, is being held in poor conditions. The Minister noted that Gambaryan was detained legally, has access to consular services, and the conditions of detention do not threaten his health.