Grace Ashiru
Members of the United States Congress have submitted a resolution calling on the Nigerian government to immediately release Tigran Gambaryan, a detained Binance executive. The resolution urges the U.S. Government to formally declare Gambaryan as a “U.S. citizen wrongfully detained by a foreign government” and to use all available resources to secure his release. Additionally, the resolution notes that the court usually takes a recess from mid-July to September. If Gambaryan’s case is not resolved by mid-July, he may remain in detention for an even longer “undue” period.
Tigran Gambaryan has been in custody since February 2024. Initially, he was detained in a guest house in Abuja alongside Nadeem Anjarwalla, who managed to flee, leaving Gambaryan behind. Following his not guilty plea to money laundering charges brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Gambaryan was transferred to Kuje Correctional Centre.
While at Kuje, reports indicated that Gambaryan’s physical health was worsening. According to a Binance spokesperson, his diagnosis included malaria and pneumonia.
A resolution has been passed urging the Nigerian Government to provide unrestricted medical access to Tigran Gambaryan and ensure he receives all necessary medical care, including prescriptions and antimalarials. It also calls on the Nigerian Government to grant full, unfettered, and consistent consular access to Gambaryan, in line with its international obligations, while he remains in detention.
The resolution also called for the Government of Nigeria to ensure constitutionally afforded due process rights and universally recognized human rights.
Following his detention, Gambaryan sued the EFCC and the National Security Adviser (NSA) for human rights violations. Recently, he amended the suit to seek compensation. Anjarwalla filed a similar suit, but his case was struck out.
Before this resolution by the US Congress members, who are seeking the immediate release of Gambaryan, Binance and its CEO Richard Teng had written to the authorities, advocating for the same. They stated that Gambaryan is not a decision-maker in the company and is not part of the exchange’s management; hence, he should not be detained.
Gambaryan applied for bail, which the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) opposed, claiming he posed a “flight risk.” As a result, his bail was denied.
While Gambaryan remains in detention, the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Nigeria’s tax authority, has decided to drop its charges against him and his colleague implicated in the tax evasion case against the exchange, following Binance’s provision of a representative. Nonetheless, Binance remains hopeful that the EFCC will follow the tax authority’s example.
