U.S. Representative Rich McCormick has called on the State Department to prioritize securing the release of Tigran Gambaryan, a Binance employee and former U.S. federal agent, who is currently imprisoned in Nigeria. McCormick shared his statement in a September 19 post on X.
"An American citizen and constituent of mine, Tigran Gambaryan, is being wrongfully detained by the Nigeria government," said McCormick. "His health is in serious decline with little hope in sight. His family has not hugged him in over 7 months. We need the State Department to elevate his case and bring him home NOW."
According to CoinDesk, Gambaryan was invited by Nigerian government officials to travel to Abuja in February to participate in compliance discussions. Nigerian authorities accused Binance of devaluing the naira and placed Gambaryan under house arrest. He was later charged with financial crimes and transferred to Kuje prison, where his health has declined significantly. Gambaryan contracted malaria in May and collapsed in court; in June, he was pushed into a courtroom in a wheelchair. His wife says he is at risk of "permanent damage" unless he receives proper medical treatment due to a herniated disc in his back.
Forbes reported that Gambaryan's trial has experienced multiple procedural delays while his health continues deteriorating. Nigerian officials have admitted that they charged Gambaryan to put pressure on his employer. Jim Lee, former chief of the IRS Criminal Investigation Division, said Gambaryan "is being unjustly held responsible for actions tied to Binance that were beyond his control as a compliance officer." Lee added, "It is troubling to see him punished for issues he had no involvement in."
In July, McCormick filed a resolution with the House Foreign Affairs Committee urging the Nigerian government to release Gambaryan. According to the resolution, Gambaryan spent more than 10 years working as a special agent for the IRS before joining Binance. Nigerian government officials "admitted openly in court that Tigran is being tried in lieu of pursuing legal action against his employer." The resolution said that the U.S. government should "formally declare Tigran Gambaryan as a 'U.S. citizen wrongfully detained by a foreign government'" and called on the Nigerian government to provide adequate medical care and ensure due process for Gambaryan.
The Digital Chamber, a blockchain industry advocacy group, described Gambaryan's detention as "a distressing breach of international law," according to a post on its website. The Chamber said: "This egregious act appears to be a state-sponsored kidnapping," noting that Gambaryan was invited to Nigeria "under false pretenses." The Chamber further said that Gambaryan's imprisonment "under such dubious circumstances sets a dangerous precedent, signaling that any American businessman abroad, particularly those in the cryptocurrency sector, is vulnerable to similar unlawful actions by foreign governments."
McCormick is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who represents Georgia's 6th Congressional District, according to his website. Prior to being elected to Congress, McCormick worked as an Emergency Room physician at Northside Hospital. He is also a member of the House Armed Services, Foreign Affairs, and Science, Space, and Technology Committees.
