Matty Ice, host of The Runway Podcast, stated that the health of Tigran Gambaryan, a former U.S. federal agent and current employee of the cryptocurrency exchange Binance, has significantly deteriorated during detention in Nigeria. Ice said Gambaryan is not receiving adequate medical treatment. Ice shared his statement in a May 27 post.
"Tigran COLLAPSED in court," said Ice. "He can't walk, probably has malaria, and they won't even give him medical care! His wife is scared he'll DIE in there. Nigeria's authoritarian move to hold him is a death sentence."
According to the law firm handling Gambaryan's case, Aluko & Oyebode, their team is concerned that Gambaryan may die in Kuje Correctional Facility. The People's Gazette reported that the firm addressed a letter to the deputy chief registrar of the Federal High Court stating that Gambaryan needs "comprehensive medical attention at the best available hospital" and is suspected of having malaria. The firm also noted that Gambaryan collapsed in court last week due to his deteriorating health.
Gambaryan traveled to Nigeria for policy discussions in February at the invitation of Nigerian government officials, according to a post on Binance's website. Nigerian officials accused Binance of manipulating the naira's exchange rate and detained Gambaryan on February 26, preventing him from leaving the country. His phone and passport were confiscated, and he now faces criminal charges.
Gambaryan's wife Yuki said in a change.org petition that on May 17, when Gambaryan's trial began, the judge ruled that Binance could be served a tax evasion charge through Gambaryan despite him not being an executive of the company. "I truly cannot believe that my innocent husband is now - on his 40th birthday - having to face a trial for charges that he has nothing to do with," Yuki said in a statement. "The whole world is watching what he is being put through and I just pray that common sense and justice will prevail and that Tigran will be allowed to come home to us."
For ten years, Gambaryan was a U.S. federal agent who investigated cases related to "national security, terrorism financing, identity theft, distribution of child pornography, tax evasion, and bank secrecy act violations," according to another post on Binance's website. Binance hired him in 2021 to help address historical compliance issues. In 2022 and 2023, his team assisted law enforcement agencies worldwide in freezing and seizing more than $2.2 billion worth of assets. The book "Tracers in the Dark" describes Gambaryan's career as a preeminent cyber crimes investigator.
Ice hosts The Runway Podcast, which focuses on developments in Web3, crypto, AI (artificial intelligence), and blockchain technology.
