Two US congressmen have introduced a resolution to the House Foreign Affairs Committee urging the government to classify the detention of Binance executive Tigran Gambaryan in Nigeria as a hostage situation.
US Congressmen Say Binance Executive Held Hostage in Nigeria
Representatives Rich McCormick and French Hill announced in their statement that they submitted a resolution demanding the immediate release of Gambaryan, a US citizen, by the Nigerian government.
It is reported that the health condition of Gambaryan, who is detained in Kuje Prison, is deteriorating.
The resolution, introduced by McCormick and co-sponsored by Hill, calls for the U.S. government to declare Gambaryan “a U.S. citizen wrongfully detained by a foreign government.”
Members of Congress have expressed concern that if Gambaryan's case is not concluded by mid-July, he could be detained longer since the court usually goes on recess from mid-July to September.
Gambaryan, a former agent of the US Internal Revenue Service and Binance's head of financial crimes compliance, was detained along with another Binance executive, Nadeem Anjarwalla, when they arrived in Nigeria in February.
Nigerian authorities have accused Binance and executives of alleged money laundering and tax violations. Anjarwalla escaped from custody in March.
Although Nigerian tax authorities dropped the tax charges last month, money laundering accusations against the company and its executives remain.
The decision emphasizes that Gambaryan served at the IRS for ten years, during which time he seized more than $4 billion in illicit funds on behalf of the US government.
*This is not investment advice.