- Binance executive Tigran Gambaryan is reportedly being denied "adequate" access to his legal team, which has not been allowed into Kuje Prison to meet him since July 26, 2024.
- Mondo-Advisory, representing the Gambaryan family, reports that his health is rapidly deteriorating, with issues including a herniated disc needing risky surgery, throat infections, pneumonia, and a past malaria case. Despite his critical condition, the prison is holding his medical records.
Gambaryan was sent to Kuje Correctional Centre in April 2024 after pleading not guilty to money laundering charges brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and four counts of tax evasion by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).
Gambaryan and his colleague, Nadeem Anjarwalla, who fled custody, are no longer named in the FIRS suit after Binance provided a representative, making the exchange the sole defendant in the case.
However, the court in Abuja went on holiday in July, with the next hearing for Gambaryan’s tax evasion trial adjourned until October.
In July 2024, members of the United States Congress submitted a resolution urging the Nigerian government to release Gambaryan immediately, expressing concern about the court recess from mid-July to September, which could lead to an extended period of "undue" detention for the executive.
The resolution also urged the Nigerian government to provide Gambaryan unrestricted medical access and ensure he receives all necessary medical care. Additionally, it called for "full, unfettered, and consistent consular access" in line with Nigeria's international obligations while he remains in detention.
In a recent report, Yuki Gambaryan, Tigran Gambaryan's wife, has urgently appealed to the Nigerian government for her husband's release to receive necessary medical care. Binance and its CEO, Richard Teng, have also called for Gambaryan’s release, urging that he not be held responsible while the matter is ongoing.
Moreover, when Gambaryan applied for bail, the EFCC opposed the request, asserting that he posed a flight risk.
