- Binance executive Tigran Gambaryan is suffering from deteriorating health in a Nigerian prison.
- Gambaryan’s legal team has been reportedly denied access to him since July.
- The situation has prompted US lawmakers to call on the Biden administration to intervene.
The family of Tigran Gambaryan, a U.S. Binance employee being held in Nigeria, has raised alarm over his rapidly deteriorating health, citing inadequate access to his legal team and medical care.
Gambaryan, who has been detained since February, was brought to a courtroom in Abuja, Nigeria in a wheelchair on July 16. However, the court has since gone on holiday, with the next hearing scheduled for October 11.
According to an emailed statement, Gambaryan’s legal team has been denied access to him in Kuje prison since July 26, and he is now bedridden. The family claims that the prison continues to hold onto his medical records despite a court order to release them.
The family noted that Gambaryan’s health issues are severe, with a herniated disc in his back requiring specialized surgery. He has also contracted multiple throat infections and pneumonia, necessitating further surgery to remove his tonsils. Due to his bedridden state, he is now taking blood thinners to prevent blood clots, the family stated.
The situation has prompted members of the U.S. Congress to urge President Joe Biden’s administration to intervene and help bring Gambaryan back to the United States. The former Internal Revenue Service agent and current head of financial crime compliance at Binance has pleaded not guilty to money laundering charges, with earlier tax charges dropped in June.
Binance, Nigeria’s Securities and Exchange Commission, and Nigeria’s Financial Crimes Commission have not responded to requests for comment. Gambaryan’s legal team has filed a request for his case to be heard during the court’s recess period, but no updates have been provided.
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