Yuki Gambaryan, wife of Tigran Gambaryan who is currently detained by Binance, has made a plea for her husband’s transfer to a hospital for medical treatment. Despite a court order mandating the transfer, Gambaryan remains in Kuje prison. Mrs. Gambaryan has called on the Nigerian government to comply with the court order and has also reached out to the American government for assistance in securing her husband’s release.
Last week, during a court appearance for a money laundering charge, Gambaryan collapsed. He had previously failed to appear in court on the same day for separate tax evasion charges. His legal representative, Mark Mordi, informed the court that Gambaryan had been unwell since the previous trial date and was still experiencing health issues.
Binance’s legal representatives, Aluko and Oyebode, have also expressed concerns about Gambaryan’s health. In a letter to the Deputy Chief Registrar of the Federal High Court, partner C.J. Caleb detailed Gambaryan’s health problems, including receiving treatment for malaria and suffering from a throat infection. Caleb also mentioned that the Kuje Medium Correctional Facility is currently undergoing renovations, making it inadequate for providing medical treatment.
Gambaryan fell ill three months after his arrest in Nigeria along with colleague Nadeem Anjarwalla. Binance is facing multiple charges in Nigeria, including money laundering and tax evasion amounting to $35 million. Nigerian authorities have been cracking down on cryptocurrencies, believing they contribute to speculation and manipulation of the country’s currency, the naira.
As a result of the government’s actions, Binance has blocked its website to Nigerian users, disabled its P2P function, and exited the Nigerian market. This situation raises the question of how much enforcement is too much when it comes to cleaning up the cryptocurrency industry.