US lawmakers continue to call for the release of detained Binance CEO Tigran Gambaryan. The ongoing saga between the cryptocurrency exchange and Nigerian authorities intensified when several members of the US Congress sent a letter urging the Biden administration to take action.
This week, two US representatives visited Gambaryan in prison during their trip to Nigeria. Politicians shared details about the executive's alarming condition and urged his “release on humanitarian grounds.”
US lawmakers continue to call for action
On Thursday, American representatives French Hill and Chrissy Houlahan called for the immediate release of former federal agent Tigran Gambaryan. The Nigerian authorities arrested Gambarian along with his colleague Nadeem Angarwala on February 26 and charged them with tax evasion and money laundering.
Since then, many politicians and industry leaders have called for the Binance CEO to be released. Richard Teng, CEO of Binance, issued an open letter asserting in favor of Gambaryan. Teng stated that the Nigerian authorities are cracking down on a mid-level employee who has not visited the country as a decision-maker or negotiator.
Moreover, he accused the authorities of using an innocent employee as a tool against the cryptocurrency exchange. Several members of the US Congress also expressed this sentiment in a letter to President Biden.
On June 4, sixteen members of the House of Representatives urged the Biden administration to act “before it is too late,” arguing that the charges against the executive “are baseless and constitute a coercive tactic by the Nigerian government to blackmail his employer, Binance.”
Politicians painted a worrying picture of the executive's health in the letter. Reports emerged about Gambaryan's health condition after he collapsed at a court hearing on May 22. The CEO tested positive for malaria and was allegedly denied proper medical assistance.
Binance executive status remains critical
The Binance CEO scored a small victory by dropping some of the charges against him. As Bitcoinist reported, Nigerian authorities withdrew the tax evasion charges after Binance appointed a local representative to handle the legal dispute against the exchange.
However, Gambarian and Angarwala, who escaped custody in March, still face money laundering charges. As a result, the detained executive remains in detention at Kogi Prison in Nigeria.
On June 19, US representatives Hale and Holahan visited the former federal agent in his cell, where they found that his condition had deteriorated.
Representative Hill reveals visit to Kuje prison in Nigeria. Source: Rep. French Hill on X
The post said the politicians visited the country “on a national security visit to talk about America’s support for Nigeria and other West African countries in the fight against terrorism.”
Hill noted that they took the opportunity to defend the Binance CEO and see the “terrible prison” in which he is being unjustly held. Furthermore, the representative explained that they found that the CEO was still suffering from malaria and double pneumonia.
Gambarian also told politicians that he has lost a lot of weight and is still denied access to adequate medical care despite a court ruling that ordered him to be transferred to a medical facility for treatment.
Following their visit, Representatives Hill and Holahan requested that Gambarian be granted humanitarian release to ensure his safe return to the United States:
Tigran should immediately be granted humane release, the remaining charges dropped, and he must return home to America where he belongs.
Binance Coin (BNB) is trading at $583.8 in the three-day chart. Source: BNBUSDT on TradingView
Featured image from Unsplash.com, chart from TradingView.com