Nigeria has denied allegations regarding the poor prison conditions and lack of medical care for the detained Binance executive, Tigran Gambaryan.
In February, the authorities arrested Gambaryan, a US citizen and Binance’s head of the financial crime compliance department, alongside Nadeem Anjarwalla, a dual British and Kenyan citizen. The duo were arrested over their connection to the Binance exchange. However, Anjarwalla escaped custody in March.
Nigeria Refutes Ill-Health Claims
Since then, Gambaryan has faced several legal troubles and is currently held at the Kuje Prison. Earlier this week, two US lawmakers, French Hill and Chrissy Houlahan, criticized Gambaryan’s living conditions at the prison.
Hill said Gambaryan was being denied access to medical care and was suffering from several health issues. Consequently, the lawmaker demanded his immediate release and the dismissal of all pending charges.
“We found him suffering from the conditions there, as he has malaria and double pneumonia, and he reports that he has lost significant weight. Even worse, he’s being denied access to adequate medical attention,” Hill stated.
The Nigerian government, however, dismissed these claims as false. Mohammed Idris, Nigeria’s Minister of Information and National Orientation, insisted that Gambaryan is being lawfully detained with access to quality medical care. He also noted that Gambaryan receives full consular services from the US government.
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Idris explained that Gambaryan was detained on court orders, and only a judicial process could reverse this. He assured that Nigeria is protecting Gambaryan’s legal and human rights while emphasizing the country’s commitment to justice and the integrity of its judicial system.
“This adherence to legal and diplomatic standards underscores Nigeria’s dedication to upholding justice and maintaining the integrity of its judicial processes. The executive is being treated with the utmost fairness, and his legal and human rights are being protected throughout the judicial proceedings,” Idris stated.
The minister also affirmed Nigeria’s commitment to due process in its legal actions against Binance. The crypto exchange faces money laundering and tax evasion charges in the African country. The Nigerian authorities had also accused the firm of exacerbating the country’s foreign exchange challenges—a claim Binance vehemently denies.
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The Nigerian government is under growing international pressure to release the detained Binance executive. Moreover, Binance maintains that Gambaryan is not a key decision-maker within the company and argues that his detention is unnecessary to resolve the ongoing issues with the Nigerian authorities.
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