US Government Intensifies Pressure on Nigeria to Free Detained Binance Exec: Report

In a continued effort to secure the release of Binance executive Tigran Gambaryan, a former U.S. law enforcement officer, the United States government has once again urged Nigerian authorities to free the imprisoned cryptocurrency executive, according to a report.

Gambaryan, who has been detained in Nigeria since February 2024, faces mounting health concerns amid allegations of inadequate medical care.

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken raised the issue with his Nigerian counterpart in May, The New York Times reported, quoting anonymous senior State Department officials. Richard M. Mills Jr, the U.S. ambassador to Nigeria, has also called for Gambaryan’s release in private conversations with Nigeria’s president, finance minister, attorney general, and trade minister.

This renewed diplomatic push follows earlier interventions by U.S. lawmakers. In June, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX), Representative Rich McCormick (R-GA), and fourteen other Republican representatives addressed a letter to President Joe Biden, Secretary Blinken, and Special Presidential Envoy Roger Carstens.

The letter urged the administration to designate Gambaryan as “wrongfully detained” under the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act.

Subsequently, in July, Representatives French Hill (R-AR) and Rich McCormick (R-GA) submitted a resolution to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, calling for Gambaryan to be considered a hostage, noting that he was “wrongfully detained.”

Gambaryan, 40, traveled to Nigeria in February for meetings with local officials about Binance’s business dealings in the country. Nigerian authorities allege that Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, harmed the nation’s economy by allowing users to transfer funds out of the local currency, causing its collapse. 

Prosecutors charged Gambaryan and Binance with tax evasion and money laundering, though the tax charges against Gambaryan were later dropped.

The detention has taken a severe toll on Gambaryan’s health, his family has alleged, as he has suffered from malaria and problems stemming from a herniated disk. During a court hearing in May, Gambaryan was seen struggling to walk with a single crutch and pleading with guards for support. His family claims he hasn’t received adequate medical treatment, causing his health to deteriorate rapidly.

Robert S. Litt, Gambaryan’s lawyer, described the charges as “trumped-up” and asserted that “Nigerian authorities know he is wholly innocent.” The case has become a significant factor in U.S.-Nigeria diplomatic relations, with U.S. officials arguing for Gambaryan’s release on humanitarian grounds.

Nigerian officials, however, maintain that Gambaryan’s case must proceed through the country’s judicial system. Bayo Onanuga, an advisor to Nigeria’s president, Bola Tinubu, stated, “Talks are ongoing. Government will do all it can within the law, and also bearing in mind Gambaryan’s humanitarian rights.”

Gambaryan’s wife, Yuki, has expressed frustration with the U.S. government’s response, stating she “would be very upset if the U.S. government welcomes Nigerian delegates with open arms” during the upcoming United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Edited by Andrew Hayward