Tigran Gambaryan—a former high-ranking executive at cryptocurrency exchange Binance who was taken into custody in Nigeria in February—is still being denied access to his legal team and experiencing a rapid decline in his health, according to his legal team.
According to a statement shared with Decrypt, the circumstances for Gambaryan have worsened significantly since July 16, when the Abuja court adjourned for a holiday. Although the next hearing will not take place until October 11, his legal representatives have been barred from entering the prison in Kuje to meet with their client since July 26.
Gambaran's team says the former Binance executive is suffering from a herniated disc that purportedly requires specialized, high-risk surgery. His compromised mobility has also forced him to take blood thinners to prevent blood clots.
In addition, the statement says he has experienced recurrent throat infections and pneumonia during his detention, necessitating the removal of his tonsils.
The reports are in stark contrast with statements recently issued by Nigerian officials, who claimed that Gambaryan has no “serious health condition” and is doing “fine” in detention.
Previously, Gambaryan has battled malaria while in Nigerian custody and even collapsed in court.
Gambaryan's wife, Yuki, last saw her husband on February 24 when he departed for what was meant to be a brief work trip to Nigeria. She said their two young children, aged 10 and 5, are struggling to cope with their father's absence.
“My husband Tigran left our home for a work trip almost six months ago, and I have no idea when he will be back,” she said in the statement. “Now his health is in a shockingly bad condition and getting worse by the day.”
Yuki Gambaryan has made an impassioned plea to the Nigerian government for her husband's release and describes the devastating impact the situation has had on their family, including finding their young son in tears, missing his father.
The circumstances surrounding Gambaryan's detention remain unclear. Nigerian authorities initially invited him to a meeting in Abuja in February. Following the meeting on February 26, however, he was required to surrender his passport and has been held in Nigerian custody since then.
The family is calling on the Nigerian government to release Gambaryan on humanitarian grounds, allowing him to return home and receive the critical medical treatment he requires. Pressure on Nigeria is likely to increase, after United States lawmakers got directly involved by visiting the former Binance executive in prison.
Meanwhile, according to Gambaryan’s team, preventing him from meeting with his legal representatives appears to contravene both the Nigerian constitution and Nigerian prison regulations, which guarantee prisoners the right to communicate with their legal advisers.