If Binance exec’s criminal case in Nigeria is not resolved by mid-July, US Rep Rich McCormick has requested that the US government declare him a hostage.
A resolution was introduced by Representative Rich McCormick to the US Congress, urging legislators to take into account a Binance executive, Tigran Gambaryan, who has been held as a hostage in Nigeria since February.
Rep. McCormick asserted in a July 10 resolution referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs that the government of Nigeria had unjustly detained Binance executive Tigran Gambaryan “to extort” the cryptocurrency exchange.
If the matter is not resolved by mid-July, he urged the United States government to formally proclaim Gambaryan a hostage and take measures to ensure that the Nigerian government releases him and provides medical care.
The court typically takes a recess from mid-July to September, and Tigran’s detention has been ongoing since February of 2024, according to Rep. McCormick. “If Tigran’s case is not resolved by mid-July, he may be incarcerated for an even longer undue period.”
Rep. McCormick submitted the resolution for himself and Rep. French Hill, who visited Gambaryan in prison on June 20. The request for action was consistent with the requests of over 100 federal prosecutors and agents to the State Department to secure Gambaryan’s release in June.
Criminal charges against Binance exec, Gambaryan
Gambaryan and his colleague Nadeem Anjarwalla were initially charged with tax evasion and money laundering by the authorities in February, following their travel to Nigeria as representatives of Binance.
In March, Anjarwalla reportedly fled to Kenya after escaping custody; however, it is anticipated that he will be extradited to Nigeria.
Nigeria’s tax authority withdrew the tax evasion charges in June. However, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s money laundering case was still ongoing at the time of its publication.
During his imprisonment, Gambaryan suffered from pneumonia, malaria, and a variety of aches and symptoms, according to a spokesperson for his family.
At the time of publication, Gambaryan’s wife, Yuki, had initiated a petition to return her husband to the United States. The petition was on the brink of achieving its 5,000 signature objective.
She stated that she maintained communication with the attorneys representing her husband in the money laundering case and the staff at Binance. Still, she needed to maintain contact with officials from the Nigerian government.
Yuki told Cointelegraph, “It is clear to me that any disputes between Binance and the Nigerian authorities can and should be resolved without Tigran being involved.”