US lawmakers are urging the White House to take action and help a Binance employee held captive in Nigeria since February.
Binance Head of Financial Crime Compliance Tigran Gambaryan was detained after arriving in Nigeria for meetings with government officials over the exchange’s compliance issues.
In March, the Nigerian government filed charges against Binance, Gambaryan and another director, Nadeem Anjarwalla, amid accusations that the world’s largest crypto exchange is behind the collapse of the Naira, the country’s local currency.
In a letter addressed to US President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Special Presidential Envoy Roger Carstens, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX), Representative Rich McCormick (R-GA ) and fourteen other Republican representatives say Gambaryan is being wrongfully detained by a foreign government.
“It is critical to emphasize that the charges against Mr. Gambaryan are baseless and constitute a coercive tactic by the Nigerian government to extort his employer, Binance.”
Lawmakers say Gambaryan, a former Internal Revenue Service (IRS) agent, faces excessive and harsh treatment while in custody. They say the recent developments in the case are deeply disturbing after Binance’s CEO contracted malaria in prison.
“When he requested hospital treatment, prison officials denied his request. It was only when Mr Gambaryan collapsed in court that the judge was forced to order that he be sent to a private hospital for proper treatment. However, as of June 4, the prison has not fully complied with the court order and failed to ensure that Mr. Gambaryan received adequate health care.”
Lawmakers are calling for the urgent transfer of the Gambaryan case to the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, which is taking charge of securing the freedom of Americans wrongfully detained or hostage abroad.
“Mr. Gambaryan’s health and well-being are at risk, and we fear for his life. Immediate action is essential to ensure his safety and preserve his life. We must act quickly before it is too late.”
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