U.S. lawmakers French Hill and Chrissy Houlahan have called for the release of Binance executive Tigran Gambaryan, who is currently detained in Nigeria on charges of tax evasion and other financial crimes. The lawmakers visited Gambaryan and expressed concern over his poor health, urging the American embassy to seek a humanitarian release.
Gambaryan, an Armenian national, was arrested in Nigeria in April on allegations of financial misconduct and tax evasion. His arrest has been linked to Binance’s operations in Nigeria, which were recently suspended due to regulatory concerns.
PUNCH
The United States lawmakers French Hill and Chrissy Houlahan have called for the release of Binance executive Tigran Gambaryan, who is currently detained in Nigeria on charges of tax evasion and other financial crimes.
The lawmakers’ appeal followed a Wednesday’s visit to Gambaryan at Kuje prison, where they were alarmed by his deteriorating health and the conditions of his detention.
Gambaryan, suffering from malaria and double pneumonia, has reportedly lost significant weight and is being denied adequate medical attention.
The legislators emphasised the urgency of their request, describing the prison conditions as “horrible.”
The plea aligned with calls from Gambaryan’s wife, Yuki Gambaryan, who has been advocating for his release.
She also urged the U.S. government to increase its efforts to secure her husband’s release, noting that American tax dollars support Nigeria annually.
Hill gave the account of the visit on his X page on Thursday, highlighting the urgency of the situation, stating, “Yesterday, @RepHoulahan and I visited with US citizen Tigran Gambaryan in Kuje Prison in Nigeria. We found him suffering from the conditions there, as he has malaria and double pneumonia, and he reports that he has lost significant weight.
