The House Foreign Affairs Committee has approved a resolution, with amendments, calling on Nigeria to release Tigran Gambaryan, a U.S. citizen and Binance executive currently detained in the country.

By a voice vote held on September 24, the committee advanced the resolution urging the Nigerian government to release Gambaryan, who serves as head of financial crime compliance at the global cryptocurrency exchange Binance.

According to Congress.gov, the resolution, H. RES. 1348, is sponsored by Representative Richard McCormick. It was introduced on July 10 and has since been referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Gambaryan is a U.S. citizen and a former Internal Revenue Service (IRS) federal agent. During his more than ten years with the IRS, he was involved in investigating crimes and recovering over $4 billion in illicit funds for the U.S. government. The resolution calls for his immediate release by Nigeria's government and urges the U.S. government to use its resources to secure his freedom.

Gambaryan was detained in Nigeria on February 26, 2024, while serving as head of Binance's Crime Compliance division. He had traveled to Nigeria for high-level meetings concerning Binance’s compliance issues following an invitation from the Nigerian government. After these meetings became hostile, Gambaryan was forcibly taken to his hotel by armed guards, instructed to pack his belongings, and forced to surrender his passport.

On April 5, 2024, Nigerian authorities charged Gambaryan and Binance with crimes including tax evasion and money laundering, leading to his transfer to Kuje Prison. Despite testing positive for malaria, Gambaryan has not received adequate medical care; during a May 23 hearing, he collapsed due to his condition. A U.S. congressional delegation visited him on June 20, raising concerns over his treatment in detention.