Rep. Hill calls continued detainment of Binance executive ‘outrageous’

Binance executive Tigran Gambaryan appeared in court for the second time this week on Wednesday. 

The American, who’s been detained in Nigeria for over six months, faced a hearing on a bail application submitted earlier this week by his lawyers after he appeared in court earlier this week.

The prosecutor for Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) pushed back on a new bail application filed by Gambaryan’s lawyers on medical grounds, arguing that the US executive isn’t in ill health. But then, according to a Gambaryan family spokesperson, the prosecutor also claimed that he’s refusing treatment, which doesn’t seem to add up. 

Nigerian officials have accused Gambaryan, and his employer Binance, of money laundering. The two are being charged separately. 

The executive was initially detained back in February and was transferred to the Kuje Correctional Facility earlier this year. His health has deteriorated while in prison. He’s currently suffering from a herniated disk, as well as bouts of pneumonia. According to a family spokesperson, he’s also suffered from malaria and tonsillitis. 

A video shared on X earlier this week shows a distressed Gambaryan attempting to walk into the courtroom. He was, per a spokesperson, unable to use his wheelchair. And, according to Gambaryan in the video, officials were told not to offer aid.

“This is f*cked up,” Gambaryan says. He then points to the guard walking next to him and exclaims, “He was told not to help me.”

“Why can’t I use a goddamn wheelchair? This is a show!” Gambaryan adds. “I’m f*cking innocent.”

In a tweet earlier Wednesday, Rep. French Hill — who visited Gambaryan in Nigeria earlier this summer — called the situation “outrageous.” 

“It’s clear Tigran’s condition is rapidly deteriorating — the Nigerian government must release him immediately,” he added. Hill previously called for the American’s release. 

Binance CEO Richard Teng shared the video, calling on the “inhumane treatment” to end. 

“He must be allowed to go home for medical treatment and to be with his family,” Teng added. 

Gambaryan told a Nigerian judge earlier this week he’s not receiving adequate medical care and hasn’t been able to communicate with his legal team or embassy representatives.

Officials for Nigeria also sought tax evasion charges against both Binance and Gambaryan but dropped the charges against Gambaryan specifically over the summer. 

Before either of these trials commenced, Binance ended support in Nigeria — shortly after Gambaryan was detained. 

“It is useful to point out that Nigeria has never been a big market for Binance. The Government has said that we made $26B in revenue from Nigeria in 2023. That is not the case. The $21.6B figure is the total transaction volume from 2023. To provide an understanding of transaction volume: if a person were to take $1000 and trade it 1000 times, that would represent $1m in transaction volume,” Teng wrote in a blog post last week. 

“The US Government must do more to help Tigran. I urge them to use every available tool to free an innocent American who is at risk of permanent damage,” Yuki Gambaryan, Tigran’s wife, said in a statement. 

A modified version of this article first appeared in the daily Empire newsletter. Subscribe here so you don’t miss tomorrow’s edition.

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