House Members Urge POTUS To Help Free Binance Exec 'Wrongfully Detained' In Nigeria

Sixteen members of the House of Representatives have sent a letter to President Joe Biden, urging him to work fast to get Binance executive Tigran Gambaryan freed from Nigerian custody.

"On behalf of Mr. Gambaryan, his family, and concerned Americans, we, the undersigned, urgently request and strongly encourage the transfer of his case to the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs," the Congress members wrote in their Tuesday letter, as published by Fox Business correspondent Eleanor Terrett. The said office coordinates U.S. efforts on overseas hostage-related matters.

They said Gambaryan qualifies as a "U.S. Citizen wrongfully detained by a foreign government" and his detainment has been "marked by excessive and harsh treatment."

"Mr. Gambaryan's health and well-being are in danger, and we fear for his life. Immediate action is essential to ensure his safety and preserve his life. We must act swiftly before it is too late," wrote the group of House lawmakers, including House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Rep. Michael T. McCaul, R-Texas.

They reiterated that Gambaryan, Binance's chief of financial compliance, had been "wrongfully detained" since late February after granting the Nigerian government's request for discussions regarding the crypto giant's business in the country.

The lawmakers said "the Government of Nigeria took Mr. Gambaryan hostage" and thus needs his government's help to be freed. They highlighted his work as a former IRS agent who helped lead some of the country's "most prolific cyber investigations," including the seizure of $4.725 billion in illicit funds.

The House members' letter to the President's office marks the most high-profile move concerning Gambaryan's case, and marks a significant development following his family's continued appeals to the government for help.

The law firm handling Gambaryan's case previously wrote in a letter to the Nigerian Federal High Court that their client is "very ill" and requires immediate and comprehensive medical attention.

Multiple outlets reported that Gambaryan collapsed during a hearing of the case wherein the compliance officer is accused of involvement in Binance's violations of Nigerian law. Justice Emeka Nwite ordered for Gambaryan's transfer to a hospital, but his family said late last month that he had not been moved to a hospital. They also revealed that the Binance executive was suspected of having malaria and a severe throat infection.

Gambaryan was detained by Nigerian authorities in February alongside another Binance executive, Nadeem Anjarwalla, who escaped and fled to Kenya in March. Details about the Nigerian government's efforts to extradite Anjarwalla are scarce, but he was reportedly arrested in April.