US lawmakers continue to call for the release of detained Binance executive Tigran Gambaryan. The ongoing saga between the crypto 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 Gamabaryan in prison during their trip to Nigeria. The politicians shared details of the executive’s alarming state and called for his “humanitarian release.”
US lawmakers continue to call for action
U.S. Reps. French Hill and Chrissy Houlahan on Thursday called for the immediate release of former federal agent Tigran Gambaryan. Gambaryan was arrested, alongside his colleague Nadeem Anjarwallaby Nigerian authorities on February 26 and was accused of tax evasion and money laundering.
Since then, several politicians and industry leaders have called for the Binance executive’s release. Richard Teng, CEO of Binance, released an open letter vouching for Gambaryan. Teng said Nigerian authorities were cracking down on a mid-level employee who did not travel to the country as a decision-maker or negotiator.
Additionally, he accused the authorities of using an innocent employee as a tool against the crypto 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 exhorted the Biden administration to act “before it is too late,” arguing that the accusations against the executive are “baseless and constitute a coercive tactic by the Nigerian government to extort its employer, Binance” .
In this letter, politicians paint a worrying picture of the health of the executive. Reports of Gambaryan’s condition emerged after he collapsed during a May 22 court hearing. The executive tested positive for malaria and was reportedly denied proper medical assistance.
Condition of Binance leader remains critical
The leader of Binance won a small victory by dropping certain charges against him. As reported According to Bitcoinist, Nigerian authorities withdrew the tax evasion charges after Binance appointed a local representative to handle the legal dispute against the exchange.
However, Gambaryan and Anjarwalla, who escaped in March, still face money laundering charges. As a result, the detained leader remains incarcerated in Kuje Prison, Nigeria.
On June 19, U.S. Representatives Hill and Houlahan visited the former federal agent in his cell, where they found that his condition had worsened.
Representative Hill reveals visit to Kuje prison in Nigeria. Source: Rep. French Hill on X
According to the message, the politicians visited the country “as part of a national security visit to discuss US support for Nigeria and other West African countries in the fight against terrorism “.
Hill noted that they took the opportunity to defend Binance executives and see the “horrible prison” where he is wrongly held. Furthermore, the representative clarified that the executive was still suffering from malaria and double pneumonia.
Gambaryan also told politicians that he had lost a lot of weight and still did not have access to adequate medical care despite the court ruling that ordered him to be taken to a medical facility for treatment. neat.
Following their visit, Reps. Hill and Houlahan requested that Gambaryan be granted compassionate release to ensure his safe return to the United States:
Tigran must be granted immediate humanitarian release, the other charges against him must be 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
