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After making repeated requests for medical attention over several months, Tigran Gambaryan, a Binance employee and former U.S. Special Agent, has finally been granted his freedom by the Nigerian government. A court in Nigeria ordered his release from prison on Wednesday after the government dropped money laundering charges against him.
Gambaryan has been wrongfully held in Nigeria since February when the country targeted crypto giant Binance and seized the company’s head of financial crime compliance in what seemed to be a move to gain political advantage.
During his eight-month imprisonment, Gambaryan has suffered from various serious health issues including malaria, pneumonia, and complications from a herniated disk in his back, which has made it difficult for him to walk and requires “high-risk specialized surgery.” The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission of Nigeria dropped the charges against him due to his deteriorating health, although they refused to grant a formal acquittal.
Earlier this month, Gambaryan’s lawyers pleaded with the court to allow him bail for urgent medical treatment for the herniated disk, but the request was denied.
The money laundering charges were dismissed to enable Gambaryan to receive medical care, as stated by an EFCC lawyer to Reuters, but his release was also facilitated by “diplomatic arrangements.”
Throughout his detention, his wife has been a strong advocate for his release, and Binance has pledged to cooperate with the Nigerian government. Recently, the United States has increased pressure on Nigeria, with many lawmakers denouncing his unjust detention, pushing for his release, and even visiting him in prison. In June, FBI director Christopher Wray visited the country for an unrelated matter, after which Nigeria dropped some charges against Gambaryan.
The EFCC will carry on with its criminal prosecution of Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, for allegedly evading taxes and laundering $35 million.
Gambaryan’s wrongful detention and the charges against Binance come at a time when Nigeria is facing a severe economic crisis. The local currency, the naira, has been plummeting, with the government attributing the fall to the growing influence of cryptocurrencies. The government argues that Binance contributed to the currency’s decline by allowing users to move assets out of the local currency.
Gambaryan was arrested during what was intended to be a business trip to Nigeria to discuss the ongoing dispute and potentially reach a resolution. Instead, the executive was detained along with a colleague, who managed to escape Nigerian custody in March.
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