
Author: Brayden Lindrea, CoinTelegraph; Compiled by: Tao Zhu, Bitchain Vision
Several U.S. politicians have reportedly asked President Joe Biden and the Hostage Affairs Department to manage to bring back Binance employee Tigran Gambarian, who has been detained in Nigeria for more than three months on charges of money laundering and tax evasion..
In a letter to President Biden, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and President’s Hostage Envoy Roger D. Carstens on June 4, 12 American politicians stressed that Gambarian is still being “in the Nigerian government”Misconduct”, action must be taken before the situation worsens.
“We are worried about the safety of his life. Action must be taken immediately to ensure his safety and save his life. We must act quickly so that it is not too late.”
The letter said that American politicians particularly hope that the president’s hostage envoy will handle the case of Gambarian.Fox Business reporter Eleanor Terrett shared the letter on X.
The letter was signed mainly by members of Congress.The letter noted that Gambarian was charged with several “unfounded” crimes, including money laundering and tax evasion, which they believed were part of the coercive means of Nigerian authorities extorting Binance.
Source: Eleanor Terrett
Gambarian, who serves as the head of financial crime compliance for cryptocurrency exchanges, on February 26, invited him to resolve Binance’s compliance issues in the country, and Gambarian traveled to Nigeria.
However, after two meetings, Nigerian authorities detained Gambarian, which was said to have been professional at first and later became increasingly hostile.
The Binance executive is currently being held in Nigeria’s “notorious” Kuj Prison, known for its poor conditions.American politicians said he has been “fighting for his life.”
American politician said Gambarian was later tested for malaria and the court ordered him to be taken to a private hospital for private treatment, but the court did not enforce it.
On May 18, Gambarian was denied bail.Four days later, on May 22, Gambarian failed to attend the scheduled court hearing.The court, prosecutors, and defense teams are not aware of his whereabouts or status.
American politicians said that when the court resumed the next day, Gambarian attended.But they said his condition had deteriorated significantly.
“When the judge asked Mr. Gambarian to step forward, he could not stand alone and eventually fell to the ground.”
American politicians also said Gambarian was not allowed to meet with his legal team without Nigerian authorities and armed guards.
Before joining Binance, Gambarian was a federal agent and worked for ten years at the IRS.