US Lawmakers Visit Detained Binance Executive in Nigerian Prison, Call for His \'Humanitarian Release\'

US representatives French Hill and Chrissy Houlahan called for the immediate liberation of former federal agent Tigran Gambaryan.

Several US lawmakers continue to call for the release of Tigran Gambaryan, a former federal agent detained by Nigerian authorities since February. Gambaryan, who works for the crypto exchange Binance, was arrested with his colleague Nadeem Anjarwalla on accusations of tax evasion and money laundering.

This week, US representatives visited Gambaryan in prison during their trip to Nigeria. The politicians shared details about the executive’s alarming condition and called for his “humanitarian release.”

US Lawmakers Ramp Up Pressure For Gambaryan’s Liberation

On Thursday, US representatives French Hill (R-AR) and Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) called for the immediate liberation of Gambaryan. The representatives visited the Binance executive in Kuje Prison, where he has been detained since his arrest.

Gambaryan was detained by Nigerian authorities on February 26, accused of tax evasion and money laundering. His arrest came after Binance failed to appoint a local representative during an earlier encounter with the authorities.

However, Binance later appointed a representative, leading to the withdrawal of the tax evasion charges. Despite this, Gambaryan and Anjarwalla, who escaped from detention in March, still face money laundering charges.

Several US Congress members have already voiced their concerns about Gambaryan’s arrest and detention. In a letter to President Biden, sixteen House members urged the administration to act “before it’s too late,” arguing that the charges against the executive are “baseless and constitute a coercion tactic by the Nigerian government to extort his employer, Binance.”

The politicians also highlighted Gambaryan’s deteriorating health, with reports indicating that he collapsed during a court hearing on May 22 after testing positive for malaria and being denied proper medical assistance.

Binance Exec’s Health Worsens In Detention

According to the representatives’ statement, they found Gambaryan’s condition had worsened during their visit. The executive reportedly lost a significant amount of weight and was still suffering from malaria and double pneumonia.

Gambaryan also told the politicians that he had been denied access to adequate medical attention despite a court ruling ordering he be taken to a medical facility for treatment.

Following their visit, Representatives Hill and Houlahan asked that Gambaryan be granted a humanitarian release to ensure his safe return to the US. They stated:

“Tigran must be immediately granted a humanitarian release, the remaining charges dropped, and he must return home to America where he belongs.”

The representatives visited Nigeria on a national security visit to discuss America’s support for Nigeria and other West African countries in the fight against terrorism. They took this opportunity to highlight Gambaryan’s case and visit the “horrible prison” where he is being held.

News source：https://www.kdj.com/cryptocurrencies-news/articles/lawmakers-visit-detained-binance-executive-nigerian-prison-call-humanitarian-release.html

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