Oct. 25 (UPI) — American citizen Tigran Gambaryan has been released from a Nigerian jail after eight months of incarceration and on his way back to the United States, officials said.
Gambaryan was released Thursday on “medical grounds” to allow him to return to the United States for specialized medical care, State Department spokesman Antony Blinken said in a statement.
The White House’s national security advisor, Jake Sullivan, said they were “pleased” to have secured Gambaryan’s release.
“As soon as we secured Mr. Gambaryan’s release, I called his wife,Yuki, to share this good news,” Sullivan said in a statement.
“I am grateful to my Nigerian colleagues and partners for the productive discussions that have resulted in this step and look forward to working closely with them on the many areas of cooperation and collaboration critical to the bilateral partnership between our two countries.”
Gambaryan — a former U.S. law enforcement agent and head of cryptocurrency exchange Binance’s Financial Crime Compliance division — had been in Nigerian custody since his arrest during a business trip to the African nation in February.
He and his company were charged by Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission with five counts related to the alleged laundering of some $34.4 million.
Gambaryan pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Binance has said that Gambaryan is a law enforcement professional, not part of its management and has “no decision-making power in the company.”
In August, his wife had said that Gambaryan was suffering from severe pain due to a herniated disc that prevented him from being able to walk.
Earlier this month, Defense counsel Mark Mordi had sought a fresh bail application for his client due to health reasons, presenting to the court medical reports showing Gambaryan “has a serious health issue and needed urgent medical care, which cannot be adequately managed in Nigeria,” according to a statement on the court proceedings from Nigeria’s EFCC.
On Wednesday, the federal government dropped all charges against Gambaryan, allowing him to leave the country.
Binance CEO Richard Teng expressed relief at Gambaryan’s release in a statement.
“Throughout this difficult period, Tigran has shown immense strength, and we commend his resilience in the face of such severe adversity,” he said.
“Tigran’s health and well-being remain our top priority, and we are thankful he can now receive the medical care and rest he so urgently needs alongside his family.”