Over the last several months in Nigeria, Tigran Gambaryan has fought off the effects of malaria, endured the pain of a bad back, and shuffled into court on crutches to try and clear his name.
On Friday, Gambaryan could not appear at all.
A prison official informed Justice Emeka Nwite that Gambaryan, a compliance executive at Binance, was too ill to make the journey to a trial that has been hamstrung by months of delays.
“My boss just told me that he is very sick and that is the reason why he cannot be produced in court today,” a prison officer said in court, according to proceedings monitored by DL News.
The development dismayed the family of the 40-year-old, US-based crypto executive.
“This whole ordeal has been devastating for our family and the way Tigran has been treated is so disheartening,” Yuki said via a statement shared with DL News by a family spokesperson.
“My husband is very sick and we are all so tired of this injustice,’ Yuki said. “Please just let him come home.”
String of setbacks
It marked the latest in a string of setbacks for Gambaryan, who has been charged with money laundering in connection with the Nigerian government’s long running dispute with Binance.
Gambaryan and Binance have denied the charges, and the executive’s lawyer has decried the prosecution of his client as “state-sponsored hostage taking.”
In the meantime, Gambaryan has been denied bail on a technicality even as the Biden Administration and members of the US Congress have urged Abuja to release the former federal agent on humanitarian grounds. On Friday, Gambaryan’s lawyer Mark Mordi requested an adjournment to check on his client’s health.
The judge agreed and postponed the trial to October 25.
Last week, the judge refused Gambaryan’s bail plea a second time, stating that ill health was not sufficient grounds for bail.
A source close to the matter told DL News that Gambaryan was “in a bad way.”
Gambaryan heads Binance’s financial crimes compliance unit and was detained in Nigeria in February after honouring a meeting to liaise with government officials.
He has been incarcerated in Kuje prison since April 8 and his health has been a recurring problem during the trial.
Horrible conditions
He slumped in court in the early days of the trial and has suffered malaria and pneumonia.
Gambaryan’s prison conditions described as “horrible” by visiting US lawmakers have also exacerbated a pre-existing back complaint.
The Binance executive suffers from a herniated disc that requires specialised surgery. Gambaryan is unable to walk without crutches and is also suffering from tonsillitis.
Nigerian officials have, however, played down the severity of Gambaryan’s ill health.
Prison officials have said that Gambaryan is receiving proper medical care.
Meanwhile, the judge in his ruling last week ordered that Gambaryan can be treated in “any standard hospital” in Nigeria.
Osato Avan-Nomayo is our Nigeria-based DeFi correspondent. He covers DeFi and tech. To share tips or information about stories, please contact him at osato@dlnews.com.
