Tigran Gambaryan, a Binance executive detained in Nigeria since February, may not be eligible to post bail until October after another deferment in his case.
According to a statement shared by a family spokesperson on Sept. 4, the ruling on Gambaryan’s bail application has been adjourned to Oct. 9. Gambaryan, Binance’s head of financial crime compliance, was taken into custody by Nigerian authorities in February and initially charged with tax evasion and money laundering.
Family members, including his wife Yuki, have reported that Gambaryan’s health has been deteriorating while in Nigerian custody. After a Sept. 2 court appearance, a video emerged through social media channels showing the Binance executive struggling to walk to the courtroom and receiving no assistance from guards.
Waiting on bail
Gambaryan’s attorneys have filed a motion for him to be released on bail, citing the lack of concern and treatment for his reported health problems in the Nigerian prison. He has been held in the African nation for more than six months.
As Gambaryan is a US citizen and a former IRS special agent, many lawmakers and crypto industry leaders have called for his immediate release, claiming he had been unjustly detained. At the time of publication, a petition launched by his wife to bring him back to the US had more than 5,400 signatures.
Related: US lawmaker asks Congress to treat Binance exec in Nigeria as a ‘hostage’
Authorities in several countries have moved against high-profile executives connected to tech and crypto firms in 2024. On Aug. 24, French police arrested Pavel Durov, and prosecutors later charged the Telegram CEO with offenses related to an investigation that included money laundering and providing cryptology services.
Nadeem Anjarwalla, another Binance executive who was detained in Nigeria at the same time as Gambaryan, escaped across the border to Kenya. Reports suggested that authorities sought to extradite him to Nigeria to face charges.
Nigeria’s tax authority dropped charges against Anjarwalla and Gambaryan in June. However, the pair could still appear in court for money laundering allegations.