BlockBeats news, September 13, according to the New York Times, two senior US State Department officials revealed that the US government has urged Nigeria to release Binance employee Tigran Gambaryan. Gambaryan was arrested in Nigeria in February and faces serious health problems in prison.
The detention has become an important factor affecting diplomatic relations between the United States and Nigeria. US Secretary of State Blinken communicated with the Nigerian Foreign Minister on the matter in May. Other US diplomats, including the ambassador to Nigeria, have also privately called on the Nigerian president, finance minister, justice minister and trade minister for Gambaryan's release. US diplomats said that based on humanitarian considerations, the 40-year-old Gambaryan should be released. He suffered from health problems such as malaria and spinal disc herniation in prison, but did not receive proper medical treatment and his health deteriorated sharply.
Gambaryan arrived in Nigeria in February to hold talks with local officials on Binance's business in the country. Nigerian authorities accused Binance of causing the naira's exchange rate to collapse and thus harming the Nigerian economy by allowing users to transfer funds away from the local currency, the naira. Authorities charged Gambaryan and Binance with tax evasion and money laundering. The tax charges have been dropped, but other charges remain.