Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes, along with 17 other state attorneys general, has urged President Joe Biden and the Department of State to classify Tigran Gambaryan, a U.S. citizen detained in Nigeria, as a hostage. This appeal aims to prevent a potential tragedy. The announcement was made on October 18 through a post on X.
According to the Utah Attorney General's Office, the attorneys general expressed serious concerns for Gambaryan’s safety in a letter. They noted that he is unlawfully detained by the Nigerian government as leverage against his employer. Gambaryan, a former IRS Special Agent, was arrested without cause after traveling to Nigeria for discussions on crypto market policing and has been held in a violent prison without formal charges.
The urgency for action increased when the Nigerian government failed to produce Gambaryan for a scheduled court hearing, offering no explanation for his absence. Reyes emphasized the importance of protecting American citizens and urged Secretary of State Antony Blinken to utilize legal tools to address Gambaryan’s situation.
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"Tigran Gambaryan is being held unlawfully by the Nigerian government under potentially life-threatening circumstances," said Reyes. "This is not a partisan issue, but rather one of pure humanitarian concern and fundamental patriotic duty." He added that many attorneys general have jurisdiction over criminal justice matters and are law enforcement leaders in their communities. "Tigran Gambaryan is one of these heroes in our world."
In 2013, Sean Reyes was appointed as Utah’s 21st Attorney General by Governor Gary Herbert. He inherited an office facing significant challenges and reorganized it within a year, focusing on leadership and implementing programs targeting drug dealers, human traffickers, child predators, and white-collar criminals. Reyes was elected in 2014 with a large margin and was later recognized as a rising star by the Republican National Committee in 2015.
