- Sixteen Republican congressmen urged President Biden to intervene for Tigran Gambaryan’s release, citing baseless charges and extortion attempts
- Nigerian authorities deny wrongful detention, accusing Gambaryan of tax evasion; concerns grow over his health and well-being
US lawmakers have accused Nigeria of detaining Tigran Gambaryan, an executive at Binance Holdings Ltd., and are urging President Joe Biden to intervene for his release. Gambaryan, a US citizen and head of financial crime compliance at Binance, has been held in Abuja since April 2024.
Sixteen Republican congressmen, including Michael McCaul, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, wrote to Biden on June 4. They requested that Gambaryan’s case be referred to the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, arguing that the charges against him are baseless and amount to coercion to extort Binance.
“The charges against Mr. Gambaryan are baseless and constitute a coercion tactic by the Nigerian government to extort his employer. Following these charges, Mr. Gambaryan qualifies as a ‘U.S. Citizen wrongfully detained by a foreign government’,” the lawmakers stated in their letter.
The confrontation between Nigeria and Binance began in February when Nigerian authorities detained Gambaryan and a colleague during a visit to discuss compliance issues. The colleague managed to escape, but Gambaryan was held.
“After two rounds of meetings, which were described as starting professional and then becoming increasingly hostile, the government of Nigeria took Mr. Gambaryan hostage,” the lawmakers wrote.
However, Nigerian Information Minister Mohammed Idris denied that Gambaryan had been wrongfully detained. He asserted, “Nobody is being kept outside our laws, and nobody’s life is in danger. They have committed a crime.”
Gambaryan was initially held at a guest house before formal charges were brought against him and Binance in an Abuja court in April. He is accused of non-payment of value-added and corporate income taxes and complicity in aiding customers in evading taxes through Binance’s platform.
The lawmakers expressed grave concern for Gambaryan’s well-being, noting that he last appeared in court on May 23 but was too ill to proceed, leading to an adjournment until June 20.
“Mr. Gambaryan’s health and well-being are in danger, and we fear for his life. Immediate action is essential to ensure his safety and preserve his life,” they said. The letter was also addressed to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Roger Carstens, special presidential envoy for hostage affairs.