- Tigran Gambaryan had to be wheeled into a Nigerian courtroom to resume his trial due to severe health issues
- Gambaryan’s health has significantly worsened since his detention began in February
- Prison officials have not complied with the court order to release his medical records
The trial of Binance executive Tigran Gambaryan resumed yesterday, with the American wheeled into a courtroom in Abuja, Nigeria, following severe health complications that have left him barely able to walk. Gambaryan’s condition has reportedly worsened significantly since his detention began in February, according to a statement from his family on Monday. Despite a court order from the judge overseeing his trial for the release of his medical records, prison officials have yet to comply.
Medical Records Still Not Released
Gambaryan, formerly an agent with the Internal Revenue Service and currently Binance’s head of financial crime compliance, has been detained since voluntarily traveling to Nigeria for meetings with government officials. However, he was unexpectedly detained and later charged with money laundering and tax evasion, accusations that his family and supporters claim are unjust and politically motivated.
The tax evasion charges were eventually dropped, and Gambaryan has maintained his innocence regarding all accusations.
Initially placed under house arrest, Gambaryan was later moved to Kuje prison—a facility infamous for housing violent offenders, including Boko Haram militants—after his colleague, British-Kenyan citizen Nadeem Anjarwalla, managed to escape. While incarcerated at Kuje prison, Gambaryan has reportedly contracted malaria, suffered from double pneumonia, and experienced severe numbness in his foot. His condition deteriorated to the point where he collapsed in court on one occasion.
US Government Urged to Intervene
Yuki Gambaryan, Tigran’s wife, expressed her distress in a statement in CoinDesk, lamenting the severe impact the detention has had on her husband’s health:
Seeing my once fit and healthy husband reduced to such a condition is heartbreaking. This ordeal has left him in so much pain that he can hardly walk. Tigran is innocent and only traveled to Nigeria for a meeting. Our lives have been upended, and his health is in serious jeopardy. I am pleading with the Nigerian authorities to release him on humanitarian grounds.
The judge overseeing his trial recently ordered the release of his medical records, but prison officials have not yet acceded to this demand.
The US government has faced criticism for its perceived lack of action in securing Gambaryan’s release. Last month, Representatives French Hill and Chrissy Houlahan visited Gambaryan in prison and urged the US embassy to advocate for his release, citing the dire conditions he faces and his deteriorating health.
