Family members of detained Binance executive Tigran Gambaryan, who is facing money laundering charges in Nigeria, claimed that “he can no longer walk”.
As such, the family is seeking the Nigerian government’s permission for Gambaryan’s release on health concerns.
They stated that Gambaryan has been in detention for six months and currently suffering from severe pain due to a herniated disc in his back, while allegedly being denied access to “appropriate medical care” in Nigeria.
A statement on Monday, through the family’s communication agency, Mondo-Advisory, expressed concern that the detained Binance executive marked six months on August 26, since he was detained by Nigerian authorities and remanded on the order of court.
According to the statement, the family alleged that from July 26th to August 14th, 2024, Tigran’s lawyers were not allowed to enter the prison to visit him and prepare for his trial, a situation it said violates the Nigerian constitution.
“In detention, he has been denied access to appropriate medical care and is now in so much pain from a herniated disc in his back that he can no longer walk. As he is bed-bound, he is forced to take blood thinners to avoid blood clots, and the prison doctor has stated that his muscles have atrophied. They were allowed a brief 5-minute visit on August 15th, but have since been blocked from entering again.
“The U.S. Embassy also no longer has access to Tigran, as he is not allowed to use a wheelchair and cannot physically walk to the visitor area,” the statement partly reads.
The statement further revealed that an application was made to have the case heard during the recess, though Justice Nwite’s court is sitting as a vacation court, and it was approved, with the next hearing date now set for September 2, 2024.
Tigran’s wife, Yuki, seized the moment to urge the government to release her husband who was a former U.S. federal agent.
“It has been six months since I last hugged my husband and since our children last held their father’s hand.
“Tigran Gambaryan, my husband, a former U.S. federal agent, has now been detained in a Nigerian prison for half a year. His health is deteriorating to the point where he can no longer walk, and he is being inhumanely denied the use of a wheelchair.
“For six months, our living nightmare has been filled with pleas. Pleas to the U.S. government, pleas to the Nigerian government, pleas to the media, pleas to anyone who will listen.
“I am pleading for their mercy, their understanding, and their humanity. My husband is innocent and needs to be released before it is too late and the damage done to him is irreversible. Six months is too long; please help me bring my husband home,” she stated.
