Binance calls for US intervention as Tigran Gambaryan’s detention marks 6 months

Binance CEO Richard Teng is calling for US intervention after one of the exchange’s executives, Tigran Gambaryan, was sentenced to six months in prison over deteriorating detention conditions in Nigeria.

Binance CEO Richard Teng has called on US authorities and international advocates to intervene in the deteriorating conditions that have befallen Tigran Gambaryan, a former US federal agent and Binance executive, in Nigeria for six months. In a statement on August 27, Teng said Gambaryan was in “severe pain” and was unable to walk due to a “herniated disc.”

“The Nigerian government has refused to provide him with adequate medical care, including basic necessities such as a wheelchair, despite his condition.”

Richard Teng, Binance CEO

Despite court orders to release Gambaryan’s medical records and requests for humane treatment, Nigerian authorities have failed to comply, Teng said. He also noted this week that the detained Binance executive was “denied access to a US consular representative.”

“There is no need to imprison an innocent employee to respond to any allegations against Binance. We have resolved issues reasonably, cooperatively and amicably with governments in countries around the world, including the US, Thailand, and most recently Brazil and India.”

Richard Teng, Binance CEO

Teng called on the US government to use its influence to have Gambaryan released on humanitarian grounds and to protest against Nigeria’s detention practices, asking the US administration to name Tigran as one of its citizens “illegally detained” abroad.

According to a press release shared by Gambaryan’s family with crypto.news, his legal team was not allowed to visit him in prison between July 26 and August 14, and was only allowed a five-minute visit on August 15.

“They were granted a brief five-minute visit on August 15 but have since been prevented from entering again. Therefore, his legal team is unable to prepare him for the hearing, which is against the Nigerian constitution.”

Gambarian family

Gambaryan, an American citizen, was arrested by Nigerian law enforcement in February along with his British-Kenyan colleague Nadeem Anjarwalla. The pair were caught at Abuja airport after authorities asked Binance representatives to come to the capital. Following their arrest, all naira and peer-to-peer services on Binance in Nigeria were suspended.

Anjarwalla fled the country in March using a secret Kenyan passport. Later, reports emerged that Nigerian security forces were able to locate the Binance representative and arrested him in Kenya at the request of the Nigerian Interpol Bureau.