Tigran Gambaryan, the head of financial crime compliance at Binance, currently held in Kuje prison in Abuja, Nigeria, is reportedly being denied adequate access to his legal team despite suffering from severe health complications.
Reports reveal that Gambaryan’s condition has deteriorated rapidly since the Abuja court went on holiday on July 16th, postponing his next hearing until October 11th.
Tigran Gambaryan, who has pleaded not guilty to money laundering and tax evasion charges, was initially under home detention but later transferred to Kuje prison, a facility known for housing violent criminals, following the escape of his colleague, Nadeem Anjarwalla.
Gambaryan reportedly suffers from a herniated disc that requires urgent surgery, recurring bouts of malaria, double pneumonia, and has collapsed multiple times in court. Despite his worsening condition, access to his legal team has been severely restricted since July 26th, and his medical records are allegedly being withheld by prison authorities.
This is against both the Nigerian constitution and section 45 of the Nigerian Prisons Regulations which state that “all prisoners, other than prisoners under sentence, shall be allowed all reasonable opportunities daily of communicating with their friends or legal adviser, and they may write and receive letters.”
Gambaryan’s wife, Yuki, has issued a desperate plea for his release on humanitarian grounds, highlighting the severe toll his detention has taken on both his health and their family. “My husband Tigran left for a work trip almost six months ago, and I have no idea when he will be back,” she stated. “Now his health is in a shockingly bad condition and getting worse by the day.”
Yuki detailed the toll this ordeal has taken on their family, describing their children’s distress and her fears for Tigran’s well-being. “Our five-year-old son recently cried out, ‘I miss my daddy,’ and our ten-year-old daughter is trying to be strong, but this is not something a child should endure,” she added. “I am begging the Nigerian government to please release him so that he can come home and receive the medical treatment he urgently needs before it is too late.”
Gambaryan’s legal team and family continue to push for his release, pointing to both legal rights and his deteriorating health as huge bothers.
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