The Federal Government of Nigeria has dropped money laundering charges against Binance executive and American citizen Tigran Gambaryan, who had been jailed in the African nation for the past 264 days. The arrest and prolonged detention of Gambaryan had drawn widespread condemnation of Nigeria and significant international pressure from U.S. lawmakers ahead of the upcoming U.S. presidential elections.
According to reports from Reuters and Bloomberg, all charges against Gambaryan have been dismissed. The decision comes just weeks before the U.S. presidential elections, where the prolonged detention of an American citizen had become a hotly debated topic.
Gambaryan, a former IRS officer, was serving as the Head of Binance Financial Crime Compliance when he was invited to Nigeria by government officials for a meeting. Shortly after arriving in Nigeria, Gambaryan was arrested in February 2024 and charged with money laundering by local authorities.
Since his arrest, Gambaryan has spent the past 264 days in jail, despite his deteriorating health and mounting international pressure on the Nigerian government to release him. A recent video showing Gambaryan limping his way to court and yelling, “This is so fu**ed up” went viral on social media, intensifying calls for his release.
With the Nigerian government dropping all charges, speculation is high that Gambaryan could be back in the United States before the presidential elections commence on November 5.