Binance exec’s mother pleads with US gov’t to secure his release

The mother of Tigran Gambaryan, a Binance executive detained in Nigeria since February, has been calling on the United States government to end her son’s detention in the country.

In a Sept. 18 interview from California news outlet KMPH Fox 26, 75-year-old Knarik Gambaryan urged US authorities to take action to secure Tigran’s release from Nigeria, claiming that he had been “detained wrongfully” and citing his deteriorating health. On Sept. 3, a video emerged through social media appearing to show the Binance executive’s physical condition for the first time since being detained by authorities, leaving him barely able to walk to court.

“He’s just a regular US Citizen,” said Knarik Gambaryan. “The US government has to take care of its people. He’s not a criminal.”

Gambaryan’s mother lives in Fresno, California, where she moved with her son from Armenia when he was in junior high school. He worked as a special agent with the US Internal Revenue Service for ten years before joining Binance in 2021, moving to become the crypto exchange’s head of financial crime compliance.

Related: US diplomats pressure Nigeria to release detained Binance exec

Since Gambaryan’s detainment by Nigerian authorities in February, many US lawmakers and crypto industry leaders have called for his immediate release, claiming he had been unjustly detained. Arkansas Representative French Hill visited Gambaryan in prison in June, and Representative Rich McCormick petitioned Congress to treat the situation as though the Binance executive were held “hostage” in Nigeria.

Background on criminal charges

Gambaryan and Nadeem Anjarwalla, a colleague at Binance, traveled to Nigeria in February to represent the exchange in discussions with officials. The two were detained and charged with tax evasion and money laundering. 

Anjarwalla escaped custody in March and reportedly fled to Kenya, but he is expected to be extradited to face charges. Nigeria’s tax authority later dropped the tax evasion charges, but the country’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission case involving money laundering is still moving forward.

A spokesperson for Gambaryan’s family and reports from Nigeria suggested that the Binance executive’s health had deteriorated since his detainment. The family reported cases of pneumonia and malaria, as well as a herniated disc that could require surgery.

As of Sept. 4, Gambaryan is expected to appear in court again on Oct. 9 for a bail hearing. It’s unclear whether his lawyers will be able to secure his release from prison or get permission from the court to travel outside Nigeria. 

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