US authorities pressure Nigeria to release detained Binance executive Tigran Gambaryan

Odaily Odaily reported that two senior U.S. State Department officials revealed that the U.S. government is urging Nigerian officials to release Binance executive Tigran Gambaryan, and his lawyers are pressuring the U.S. State Department to characterize Gambaryan as "wrongly detained." Gambaryan was arrested in Nigeria in February, and it has been 7 months since then. He is currently facing serious health problems in prison. This detention has become an important factor affecting diplomatic relations between the United States and Nigeria. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken communicated with the Nigerian Foreign Minister on the matter in May. Other U.S. diplomats, including the ambassador to Nigeria, have also privately called on the Nigerian president, finance minister, justice minister and trade minister to release Gambaryan. Gambaryan arrived in Nigeria in February to hold talks with local officials about Binance's business in the country. Nigerian authorities accused Binance of causing the collapse of the naira exchange rate by allowing users to transfer funds from the local currency naira, thereby damaging the Nigerian economy. The authorities charged Gambaryan and Binance with tax evasion and money laundering. The tax charges have been dropped, but other charges continue. Gambaryan appeared in court last week to apply for bail to seek treatment. If granted, he will be released when his trial begins in October. He denies all wrongdoing. (The Block)