Tigran Gambaryan, the Binance executive held in Nigeria after being accused of money laundering, has left the country after the charges were dropped.
“He’s in the air,” a U.S.-based lawyer on Gambaryan’s legal team told CoinDesk.
Tigran Gambaryan, the Binance executive held in Nigeria after being accused of money laundering, has left the country after the charges were dropped.
A family spokesperson confirmed to CoinDesk on Thursday that he was released from Kuje prison last night and then exited Nigeria.
“He’s in the air,” a U.S.-based lawyer on Gambaryan’s legal team told CoinDesk.
Gambaryan’s health deteriorated while in prison. His applications for bail were denied, but his release to receive medical attention abroad was approved on Wednesday.
“The government has reviewed the case and, taken into consideration that the second defendant (Mr. Gambaryan) is an employee of the first defendant (Binance Holdings Limited), whose status in the matter has more impact than the second defendant’s, and also taking into consideration some critical international and diplomatic reasons, the state seeks to discontinue the case against the second defendant,” a Nigerian Economic and Financial Crimes Commission prosecutor stated in court.
His wife, Yuki Gambaryan, has been campaigning for his release.
“It is a huge relief that this day has finally come. The past eight months have been a living nightmare,” she said. She thanked the U.S. government for its efforts in securing his release.
Gambaryan was released on humanitarian grounds and is on his was back to the U.S. to receive medical attention, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said in a statement. During his time in prison, Gambaryan developed malaria, pneumonia and tonsillitis, and suffered from complications that left him needing a wheelchair.
“We are deeply relieved and grateful that Tigran Gambaryan has finally been released after enduring nearly eight months of detention in Nigeria,” Richard Teng, the CEO of Binance, said in a statement.
Binance still faces two ongoing trials in Nigeria, one on money laundering and the other on tax evasion.
Nikhilesh De and Amitoj Singh contributed to reporting to this story.
Update (15:01 UTC): Adds qoutes from Yuki Gambaryan and U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Binance CEO Richard Teng.