- A coalition of over 100 former prosecutors and agents has urged Secretary of State Tony Blinken to intensify efforts to free Tigran Gambaryan
- Gambaryan has been detained for over four months, facing charges related to alleged tax evasion and money laundering for his employer, Binance
- The coalition’s letter to the State Department has followed a similar plea from 16 members of Congress to increase pressure on Nigerian authorities.
A coalition of over 100 former federal prosecutors and agents has urged Secretary of State Tony Blinken to intensify efforts to secure the release of Tigran Gambaryan. Gambaryan has been detained for over four months by Nigerian authorities who have put him on trial over his alleged work in helping his employer, Binance, facilitate tax evasion and money laundering. Axios reports that the letter has been sent to the State Department to try and get it to increase pressure on Nigerian authorities, following a similar plea from 16 members of Congress the previous day.
Four Months in Detention
Gambaryan is a US citizen who heads up Binance’s financial crime compliance unit. He is also a former special agent with the IRS with a track record in bringing to book the very people who commit the crimes he has been accused of. Gambaryan was detained in Nigeria after the government accused Binance of contributing to the local currency’s collapse alongside the company’s Africa chief, Nadeem Anjarwalla, who escaped custody and fled the country.
The letter’s signees, many of whom collaborated with Gambaryan on various federal investigations, stress the unjust nature of his detention. Supporters argue that Gambaryan is being used as a scapegoat or political prisoner, and Binance has said that he had no role whatsoever in its operations. Nigerian authorities have defended their actions, asserting legal grounds for the arrest.
Response Criticized as “Wholly Lacking”
The letter criticizes the government’s actions to date as being “wholly lacking” and says that “the consequences of further inaction are potentially dire.” The signatories call Gambaryan’s imprisonment “not only unjust but inhumane,” highlighting Gambaryan’s imprisonment in a facility known for housing Nigeria’s most dangerous criminals and noting his lack of medical care, despite a recent health scare in court, possibly from malaria.
The appeal, led by former federal prosecutor and current crypto venture capitalist Katie Haun, is part of a larger initiative to secure Gambaryan’s release, emphasizing the urgency and gravity of his situation.
