Tigran Gambaryan, the ailing Binance executive jailed in Nigeria, has been denied the use of a wheelchair, his family said on Monday.
Gambaryan, 40, a US-based compliance manager who was charged with money laundering by Nigerian authorities in March, has been coping with malaria and pneumonia during his incarceration in a prison in the African nationâs capital, Abuja.
His family said Gambaryan cannot walk without assistance.
âHis health is deteriorating to the point where he can no longer walk and he is being inhumanely denied the use of a wheelchair,â Gambaryanâs wife, Yuki, said in a statement shared by the familyâs representatives with DL News.
âHorribleâ conditions
Gambaryan, a US citizen and Binanceâs financial crimes compliance chief, is waiting for his trial to resume on September 2 after a two-month break for the courtâs annual recess.
Gambaryanâs legal woes stem from a long-running dispute between the Nigerian government and the worldâs top crypto exchange.
He has denied allegations levelled against him by Nigerian anti-corruption officials, as has Binance. His lawyer, Mark Mordi, has called the prosecution of Gambaryan âstate-sanctioned hostage taking.â
Gambaryan is being held under prison conditions described as âhorribleâ by two visiting US lawmakers in June: Rep. French Hill, an Arkansas Republican, and Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, a Pennsylvania Democrat.
A prison spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment on the question of whether the accused is being denied wheelchair access.
Limited mobility
Nigerian prison authorities and the nationâs information ministry have maintained in the past that Gambaryan was receiving proper medical care.
A person familiar with Gambaryanâs situation told DL News he does move around his cell and is not sick.
Gambaryanâs limited mobility stems from a pre-existing herniated disc in his back, a condition that has become difficult to manage in prison.
The family said Gambaryanâs bad back has been aggravated by his long stint in detention and will require specialised surgery to fix.
Without access to a wheelchair, Gambaryanâs family said the Binance executive is no longer able to get to the prisonâs visiting area to meet with lawyers or officials from the US Embassy.
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.