Binance exec denied legal counsel as health declines

Binance exec Tigran Gambaryan is reportedly being denied legal counsel and healthcare while detained on criminal allegations in Nigeria.

Gambaryan was wheeled into an Abuja court during his last hearing on July 16 after his health deteriorated while in Kuje prison. Federal High Court judge Emeka Nwite signed an arrest warrant for the facility’s medical doctor.

However, according to his family, punitive measures have done little to aid the arrested Binance executive. A statement shared with crypto.news on Aug. 12 said Gambaryan was bedridden due to several back issues and other health concerns. 

“I am begging the Nigerian government to please release him so that he can come home and receive the medical treatment he urgently needs before it is too late,” said Yuki Gambaryan, partner of the detained crypto exchange employee.

By the time of his next hearing on Oct. 11, Gambaryan will have been incarcerated for over six months amid an ongoing legal showdown between Nigerian authorities and Binance, the largest centralized crypto exchange in the world.

Nigeria outlaws crypto P2P on Binance, other exchanges

Gambaryan and fellow Binance employee Nadeem Anjarwalla entered Nigeria in February. Local authorities swiftly arrested the duo, who had been invited to negotiate a resolution between the CEX and Nigeria.

While Anjarwalla escaped detainment and fled the country, Gambaryan remained and was indicted on tax evasion and money laundering charges. Gambaryan denied the allegations and counter-sued for human rights violations. Binance CEO Richard Teng petitioned Nigeria for his release, stating that Gambaryan had no decision-making powers.

Teng also claimed that unidentified officials asked for a substantial amount in hush money, a claim refuted by a government spokesperson.

U.S. politicians called on President Joe Biden to address the situation, as Gambaryan is an American citizen and a former IRS agent. “We fear for his life,” wrote members of Congress in June as the month-long debacle continued.

The case against Gambaryan is part of a larger crackdown on crypto exchanges in the African nation. Nigeria has seen an exodus of platforms, especially in the peer-to-peer crypto market. Digital asset service providers like Binance, KuCoin, and OKX have shuttered P2P trading in the country and limited facilities in some cases.