Tigran Gambarian's family says prison officials refused to give him a wheelchair. His family has accused prison officials of preventing him from contacting lawyers. A Binance executive is awaiting trial on money laundering charges in Nigeria.
Ailing Binance executive Tigran Gambarian, who is serving a prison sentence in Nigeria, has refused to use a wheelchair, his family said on Monday.
Gambarian, 40, a US-based compliance manager who was charged with money laundering by Nigerian authorities in March, has been suffering from malaria and pneumonia while in prison in the African nation's capital, Abuja.
Gambarian is unable to walk without assistance, his family said.
“His health is deteriorating to the point where he can no longer walk and he is inhumanely denied the use of a wheelchair,” Gambarian's wife, Yuki, said in a statement shared by family representatives. News.
'Terrible' conditions
Gambarian, a US citizen and Binance's financial crimes compliance chief, is waiting to resume his trial on September 2 after a two-month break for the court's annual recess.
Gambarian's legal troubles stem from a long-running dispute between the Nigerian government and the world's top crypto exchange.
Like Binance, he denied the allegations leveled against him by Nigeria's anti-corruption authorities. His lawyer, Marc Mordi, called Gambarian's prosecution a “state-sanctioned hostage-taking.”
Gambarian was detained in prison conditions described as “appalling” by two visiting US lawmakers in June: Representative French Hill, an Arkansas Republican, and Representative Chrissy Houlahan, a Pennsylvania Democrat.
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A prison spokeswoman did not respond to a request for comment on whether the suspect would be denied wheelchair access.
Limited mobility
Nigeria's prison authorities and the country's Ministry of Information previously said Gambarian was receiving proper medical care.
Gambarian said a person familiar with the situation said News He walks around his cell and is not sick.
Gambarian's limited mobility came from a pre-existing herniated disc in his back, a condition that made him difficult to manage in prison.
Family members said Gambarian's back had worsened due to his prolonged detention, requiring special surgery to repair it.
Without wheelchair access, the Binance executive can no longer reach the prison's visiting area to meet with lawyers or officials from the US Embassy, ​​Gambarian's family said.
Osato Awan-Nomayo Our Nigeria based DeFi representative. He covers DeFi and technology. To share tips or information about articles, please contact him here [email protected].
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