US Representative James Hill (R-AR) has issued a warning, stating that the extended confinement of Binance Executive Tigran Gambaryan in Nigeria may endanger the two nations’ diplomatic ties.
On Tuesday, Hill announced this with a message posted on his verified X handle.
In his post, he expressed his surprise that Nigeria, a nation seen as America’s friend, was detaining a US citizen for a case he had no direct involvement in. I implore President Biden to exert further pressure for his discharge.
Hill highlighted Gambaryan’s contributions to the fight against cybercrime. Hill is the deputy chairman of the House Financial Services Committee and the chairman of the subcommittee that is in charge of digital assets and financial technology.
He claims that Tigran has assisted America in taking down numerous cybercrime rings, and it is now time to repay the favor.
This occurs while calls for Gambaryan’s quick release remain strong in his case.
Gambaryan, who is accused of tax evasion and other financial offenses in Nigeria, has been detained for six months.
But this isn’t the first time Hill has argued persuasively for Gambaryan, asking Biden’s administration to work harder to free him from custody.
In June, Hill and another Pennsylvania congressman, Democrat Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, demanded that the Binance Executive be made public.
The MPs said that their calls for his release stemmed from the state in which they visited him during his incarceration.
We have requested that the American embassy support Gambaryan’s humanitarian release due to the appalling conditions in his detention, his innocence, and his health.
“In Congress, we have a task group focused on Americans who are unfairly imprisoned overseas or kept as hostages. Tigran definitely belongs in that category, in our opinion,” said Hill and Houlahan.
