Binance executive Tigran Gambaryan, who has now spent more than six months in a Nigerian prison, is suffering from “rapidly deteriorating” health conditions, according to the firm’s CEO.
In a new blog post, Binance chief executive Richard Teng says Gambaryan can no longer walk and is in desperate need of medical care.
“Tigran’s physical and mental conditions have deteriorated rapidly, and his situation is now more dire than ever. He is in severe pain and unable to walk due to a herniated disc. Despite his condition, the Nigerian government has denied him adequate medical care, including basic needs such as access to a wheelchair.”
Gambaryan, head of the crypto exchange’s Financial Crime Compliance team, was first detained by Nigerian authorities in February and charged with crimes related to Binance’s operations in that country.
While Gambaryan’s trial in a Nigerian court is expected to begin September 2nd, Teng says he has been prevented access to legal counsel.
Teng objects to authorities holding an employee to answer for allegations against Binance’s operations and calls on Nigeria to release Gambaryan.
“There is no need to imprison an innocent employee to answer for any allegations against Binance. We have settled issues in countries around the world, including the US, Thailand, and most recently in Brazil and India, in a reasonable, collaborative, and amicable manner with governments. All these were done without threat or harm inflicted on our employees.”
The Nigerian government had charged Binance, Gambaryan and another executive, Nadeem Anjarwalla, with four counts of tax evasion after the platform allegedly failed to register with the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS). In June, tax evasion charges against Gambaryan and Anjarwalla were dismissed. However, both still face money laundering charges, which they deny.
In February, Gambaryan was arrested alongside his colleague Anjarwalla, who managed to escape the country. Gambaryan had traveled to Nigeria to engage in regulatory talks.
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