US Congressman Urges Biden Administration to Treat Tigran Gambaryan as a Hostage in Nigeria

US Congressman Rich McCormick Urges Biden Administration to Treat Tigran Gambaryan as a Hostage in Nigeria

Tigran Gambaryan, a former federal agent and head of investigations at cryptocurrency exchange Binance, has been detained in Nigeria for months on charges of financial crimes. However, pressure is now mounting within the US Congress for the Biden administration to recognize Gambaryan as a hostage, held illegally by the Nigerian government.

Congressman Rich McCormick, representing Gambaryan’s district in Georgia, has submitted a resolution to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs urging the Nigerian government to release Gambaryan and calling on the US government to intervene in his case. Gambaryan, who has been denied proper medical care despite suffering from malaria and pneumonia, is being held as a means of extortion by the Nigerian government, according to supporters.

Gambaryan’s case has garnered attention from lawmakers, with 16 members of Congress calling on the White House to transfer his case to the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs. Two House members, French Hill and Chrissy Houlahan, have also visited Gambaryan in jail and called for his release.

The charges against Gambaryan, including tax evasion and money laundering, are seen as ironic given his track record as a federal agent. Prior to joining Binance, Gambaryan led numerous high-profile cryptocurrency crime investigations, resulting in the seizure of billions of dollars in illicit funds.

Supporters of Gambaryan emphasize his contributions to US law enforcement and call for swift action to secure his release. As the situation in Nigeria continues to escalate, the push for Gambaryan’s freedom grows stronger in Congress and beyond.