US diplomats demand release of Binance exec in Nigeria citing health concerns: NYT

The US government is quietly pressuring Nigeria to release Tigran Gambaryan, a Binance executive detained in the country since February.

Gambaryan has reportedly faced serious health problems while in detention, prompting calls for his release on humanitarian grounds.

Humanitarian concerns

According to a New York Times report, two unnamed senior State Department officials revealed that US diplomats have been lobbying Nigerian officials behind the scenes for his release.

US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken raised Gambaryan’s case directly with Nigeria’s foreign minister in May. Several diplomats, including Ambassador Richard M. Mills Jr., have since held private talks with President Bola Tinubu and several key ministers, including those responsible for finance and trade, calling for his release.

Diplomats have cited humanitarian concerns, noting that the Binance executive has suffered from malaria and complications related to a herniated disc. His family also claims that he has not received adequate medical care in prison, which has worsened his condition.

The country’s officials, however, maintain that he has access to appropriate medical care, with a government representative stating that “the courtroom is the correct forum to assess the merits of any prosecution.”

Bayo Onanuga, a senior adviser to President Tinubu, acknowledged the US government’s concerns and confirmed that discussions were ongoing. “The government will do everything it can within the law, and also taking into account Gambaryan’s humanitarian rights,” Onanuga said.

Richard Teng has also criticized the country’s government for its “inhumane treatment” of the company’s head of crime enforcement after a video showed him distressed during a court appearance.

Strained relationships

Meanwhile, according to the anonymous officials, Gambaryan’s imprisonment has become a major sticking point in US-Nigerian relations.

Gambaryan’s lawyers have also asked the US State Department to label him “wrongfully detained” to increase pressure on Nigeria. In July, Representative Rich McCormick introduced a resolution calling his detention a “hostage” situation, accusing Nigeria of holding him to extort the crypto exchange for money.

The former law enforcement officer was arrested during a business trip to Nigeria, where he held meetings about Binance’s operations there.

Authorities accused the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange of destabilizing the local economy by allowing the transfer of funds out of the country and devaluing the naira. The executive was later charged with money laundering and tax evasion, although the tax charges were later dropped.

Despite these developments, Binance argues that Gambaryan should not be held responsible for the company’s actions, noting that he is a mid-level employee.

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