Tigran Gambarian's situation worsened. The Binance executive had been suffering from back pain and malaria for a long time. US officials have demanded the release of the former federal agent.
Over the past few months in Nigeria, Tigran Gambarian has battled the effects of malaria, endured back pain and arrived in court on crutches to clear his name.
On Friday, Gambarian was nowhere to be seen.
The prison officer informed Justice Emeka Nwite that Gambarian, a compliance executive at Binance, was too ill to attend the trial due to months of delays.
“My boss told me that he is very ill, so he cannot appear in court today,” a prison official told the court, according to the monitored proceedings. News.
The development upset the family of the 40-year-old, US-based crypto executive.
“This whole ordeal has been devastating for our family and the way Tigran has been treated is very disappointing,” Yuki's family spokesperson said in a statement shared with News.
“My husband is very sick and we are all very tired of this injustice,” Yuki said. “Please let him come home.”
A series of setbacks
It marks the latest in a string of setbacks for Gambarian, who has been charged with money laundering in connection with the Nigerian government's long-running dispute with Binance.
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Gambarian and Binance have denied the allegations, and the executive attorney has denounced his client's prosecution as “state-sponsored hostage-taking.”
Meanwhile, Gambarian was denied bail on a technicality, despite calls from the Biden administration and members of the US Congress to release Abuja on humanitarian grounds. On Friday, Gambarian's lawyer Marc Mordi requested an adjournment to check on his client's health.
The judge agreed and adjourned the hearing to October 25.
Last week, a judge denied Gambarian's bail request for a second time, saying the illness was insufficient for bail.
A source close to the matter told News that Gambarian is “in a bad way.”
Gambarian heads Binance's financial crimes compliance unit and was detained in Nigeria in February after honoring a meeting to consult with government officials.
He has been incarcerated in Kuje Prison since April 8 and his health has been a recurring problem during the trial.
Terrible conditions
In the early days of the trial he collapsed in court and suffered from malaria and pneumonia.
Gambarian's prison conditions were described as “appalling” by visiting US lawmakers, further exacerbating an existing backlash.
The Binance executive was diagnosed with a herniated disc that required specialized surgery. Gambarian cannot walk without crutches and also suffers from tonsillitis.
However, Nigerian authorities downplayed the severity of Gambarian's illness.
Gambarian is receiving proper medical care, prison officials said.
Meanwhile, the judge in his ruling last week ordered that Gambarian can be treated in “any standard hospital” in Nigeria.
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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