
Ex-Federal Prosecutors and Agents Urge U.S. Secretary Blinken to Intensify Efforts for Release of Detained Binance Executive
Urgent Call for Action: Enhancing Diplomatic Efforts for Detained U.S. Compliance Officer
A collective of more than one hundred former federal enforcers, including prosecutors and agents, is fervently appealing to the Secretary of State Antony Blinken to intensify government actions to facilitate the release of Tigran Gambaryan, the head of financial crime compliance for Binance, who is currently imprisoned in Nigeria. This group’s plea highlights a profound dissatisfaction with the current governmental efforts and underscores the severe implications of continued non-intervention.
Initially detained in Nigeria in February and later accused in March of money laundering and tax evasion, Gambaryan, a previous agent of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), has contested all accusations. His arrest is perceived by many as an inappropriate use of power by Nigerian officials, aiming to make him a sacrificial figure amidst broader criticisms of his company’s impact on the local currency.
In a distressing turn of events last month, Gambaryan faced significant health challenges, reportedly collapsing due to suspected malaria and a serious throat infection while in custody. Despite a judicial order for his relocation to a medical facility, authorities have not implemented this directive, keeping him in Kuje prison—a facility notorious for housing dangerous criminals and members of extremist factions.
Prominent figures, including investor and board member of Coinbase, Katie Hauni—who previously served as a federal prosecutor—have been instrumental in mobilizing this call to action. The collective letter to Sec. Blinken decries the conditions of Gambaryan’s detainment as not only unfair but also cruel. The lack of adequate medical treatment and the denial of communication with his legal team and relatives are significant concerns highlighted in their correspondence.
This plea supplements efforts by 16 Congressional members who, earlier in the week, reached out to President Joe Biden, Sec. Blinken, and Roger Carstens, the Department’s envoy for hostage affairs. Their communication branded the detainment as profoundly concerning and pressed for the case to be escalated to a hostage situation, emphasizing the critical nature of swift action to ensure Gambaryan’s well-being and his safe return.
The urgency conveyed by both the enforcers’ community and Congressional leaders underlines a collective fear for Gambaryan’s survival and a strong call for enhanced diplomatic engagement to rectify what is increasingly viewed as a grave injustice. The concerted plea emphasizes the necessity of immediate, assertive action to safeguard Gambaryan’s health and secure his release, urging the U.S. to leverage its full diplomatic clout in this dire situation.