A recently surfaced video of detained Binance executive Tigran Gambaryan has intensified calls for his release after reports that his bail request on medical grounds was opposed.
The video, posted on social media platform X on September 3, shows a visibly distressed Gambaryan, Binance’s head of crime compliance, struggling to walk as he enters a courtroom in Abuja.
Despite his obvious difficulty, a guard refuses to assist him, forcing Gambaryan to rely on a single crutch.
In the video, Gambaryan addresses the onlookers, saying, “He was told not to help me. He said there’s instruction… Why couldn’t I use a goddamn wheelchair? This is a show.”
This footage emerged shortly after Gambaryan’s court appearance on September 2, where his lawyers filed for bail, citing his deteriorating health.
According to his family, Gambaryan is suffering from a herniated disc, malaria, pneumonia, and tonsillitis, all of which have developed during his detention.
Despite the severity of his condition, an Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) prosecutor reportedly opposed the bail, claiming Gambaryan is not in ill health and has refused treatment.
This is despite the court having received health records indicating the need for immediate surgery. The hearing is set to continue on September 4.
Calls for Gambaryan’s release
Further, Gambaryan has also been denied legal counsel, as confirmed by the family spokesperson and Binance CEO Richard Teng in an earlier statement.
Gambaryan’s wife Yuki expressed her disappointment in the situation, stating:
The US Government must do more to help Tigran. I urge them to use every available tool to free an innocent American who is at risk of permanent damage […] There must be consequences for this disregard of law and human rights.
The video has stirred significant unrest in the cryptocurrency community, with Teng also calling Gambaryan’s situation “inhumane” and demanding his immediate release so he can pursue proper medical treatment in the US.
Steve Milton, former Binance global vice president of marketing and communications, called the situation “appalling,” adding:
What is happening to Tigran is unconscionable. Tigran is not a Binance executive. He is a highly respected, mid-level law enforcement professional who was invited to Nigeria by the Nigeria Government.
Gmabrayan was arrested alongside his colleague and Binance regional manager, Nadeem Anjarwalla, on February 26 after the executives visited Nigeria to help Binance’s defense against tax evasion and money laundering charges.
Anjarwalla managed to escape detention using a fake passport in March.
However, Gambaryan was held in the notorious Kuje prison after being charged with tax evasion and money laundering charges.
Allegedly, in May, Teng disclosed that officials in Nigeria had approached the exchange’s team proposing a secret crypto settlement before the meeting that led to Gambaryan’s arrest, which Binance rejected.
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