Key Insights
- U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee passed Resolution 1348 demanding Nigeria immediately release Binance executive Tigran Gambaryan and provide him medical care.
- Gambaryan, detained since February on charges related to illegal cryptocurrency transactions, is reportedly suffering from severe health issues including pneumonia.
WASHINGTON (MarketsXplora) – The U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday passed a resolution calling for the immediate release of Tigran Gambaryan, a Binance executive detained in Nigeria, as concerns mount over his deteriorating health in custody.
Gambaryan, Binance’s head of financial crime compliance and a former U.S. Internal Revenue Service agent, was arrested in February alongside colleague Nadeem Anjarwalla. The pair face criminal charges filed on Feb. 28, linked to allegations of Binance profiting from illegal transactions in Nigeria.
The situation has escalated since Anjarwalla’s escape from custody on March 22, leaving Gambaryan as the sole Binance representative in Nigerian detention.
H.Res. 1348, introduced by Republican Representatives Rich McCormick and French Hill in July, passed by voice vote. The resolution not only demands Gambaryan’s release but also calls for “unrestricted medical care” to be provided to him.
“Tigran is suffering, not to mention his wife and two young children waiting at home for his return,” McCormick stated during the hearing.
Family reports indicate Gambaryan is “mostly bedridden,” suffering from a herniated disk and pneumonia.
The resolution urges the U.S. State Department to “use all available assets, all means, to secure his release” and officially declare Gambaryan as being “wrongfully detained.”
Read also! U.S. Lawmakers Push for Hostage Declaration in Binance Executive’s Nigerian Detention
Representative Gregory Meeks, the committee’s top Democrat, expressed disappointment at Nigeria’s lack of response to U.S. government communications regarding Gambaryan’s release.
“I know that the State Department is fully engaged in Mr. Gambaryan’s case and they are weighing the facts according to their process,” Meeks said, voicing support for the resolution.
The committee’s action comes at a time of heightened scrutiny of cryptocurrency exchanges and their executives.
Notably, Binance founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao could potentially be released from U.S. custody as early as Friday, two days ahead of schedule, due to a Federal Bureau of Prisons rule.
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