📰 US pressures Nigeria to release Binance executive 🇺🇳
The US government is quietly pressuring the Nigerian government to release Binance executive Tigran Gambaryan, who has been detained since February.
According to the New York Times, Gambaryan's deteriorating health in detention has raised humanitarian concerns.
During the months in custody, Gambaryan was diagnosed with malaria and complications related to a herniated disc, and his family claimed that he did not receive proper medical care in prison, causing his condition to deteriorate.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other US diplomats have held multiple discussions with Nigerian officials seeking Gambaryan's release.
Although Nigerian officials insist that Gambaryan is able to receive proper medical care, the US government's concerns have attracted international attention.
Later, Bayo Onanuga, a senior adviser to the Nigerian president, acknowledged the US government's concerns and said that the government is working hard to comply with the law and will consider Gambaryan's humanitarian rights.
Gambaryan's case has become a major point of contention in US-Nigeria relations. His lawyers asked the US State Department to characterize it as an "illegal detention" to increase pressure on Nigeria.
Meanwhile, Congressman Rich McCormick even proposed a resolution calling Gambaryan's detention a "hostage" incident and accusing Nigeria of holding him to extort money from cryptocurrency exchanges.
It is reported that Gambaryan was arrested during a business trip to Nigeria while holding a meeting on Binance's business. Nigerian authorities accused Binance of allowing local funds to be transferred out, devaluing the naira and undermining the local economy.
Although the tax charges were later dropped, Gambaryan still faces charges of money laundering and tax evasion. On the other hand, Binance argued that Gambaryan should not be held responsible for the company's actions and said he was just a mid-level employee.
In summary, the calls from US diplomats and Gambaryan's deteriorating health have made this incident a focus of international attention.
💬 What do you think of the US government's efforts to release Binance executives? Will the attention of the international community affect the final outcome of the case?