The US attorneys general of several states have asked US President Joe Biden to intervene in the detention of Binance director Tigran Gimbrayan by Nigerian authorities. This development comes months later a similar approach by certain US lawmakers who expressed concern over the former IRS official’s reported deteriorating health status.
US lawyers urge Biden to declare Tigran’s detention a hostage situation
In one recent letter addressed to Biden and Secretary of State Antony BlinkenEighteen U.S. attorneys general expressed deep concerns about Gambaryan, who has been in Nigerian custody for more than seven months. The US citizen and Binance employee was arrested by Nigerian authorities in February along with his colleague Nadeem Anjarwalla after visiting the West African country over regulatory issues with the crypto exchange.
Anjarwalla eventually escaped Nigeria in March, while Gambrayan was forced to remain in Nigeria and faced trial for charges including money laundering and tax evasion, while representing Binance. However, the attorneys general of Utah, Connecticut and Kansas, among others, have described Gambrayan’s detention as unlawful and merely serving as leverage for Nigerian authorities in the ongoing feud with the Binance exchange.
The lawyers also highlighted Gambrayan’s declining health status where he has been denied access to treatment for malaria, pneumonia and a hernia with motor problems. They explain that the conditions under which the Binance executive is being held could lead to death, as seen in the previous case of American student Otto Warmbier in North Korea.
Given these factors, the attorneys general have requested that Biden designate Gambrayan as a hostage under the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act, which will allow the use of government resources and increased diplomatic pressure to secure the early release of the Binance employee. .
Binance Executive Deserves Our Best – US AGs
In pushing for a hostage case, the US attorneys general also mention that Gambaryan had served the US government in multiple capacities before joining Binance as Chief Financial Crime Compliance Officer. These roles include being a special agent with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and also a federal agent helping to take down dark websites such as AlphaBay and Silk Road. They urged Biden to defend the life of an American citizen and an excellent legal officer by all available means.
Other attorneys general who co-signed this petition include New Hampshire, Maine, Arkansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Vermont, and Virginia.
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