Binance executive seen limping into Abuja courtroom amid health concerns

Tigran Gambaryan, a high-ranking executive at Binance, who has been detained in Nigeria since February, was seen struggling to walk into an Abuja courtroom on Monday.

Gambaryan, who appeared visibly distressed, limped into the courtroom, dragging his left leg behind him after his request for a wheelchair was reportedly denied by prison authorities.

A video of the incident, which was uploaded to X (formerly known as Twitter) on Monday afternoon, shows Gambaryan pleading with a prison guard for assistance as he made his way into the courtroom. The footage has quickly gone viral, prompting widespread concern over his health and the conditions of his detention.

Gambaryan’s detention in Nigeria has been shrouded in controversy, with various reports suggesting that the executive has been facing significant physical and psychological stress while in custody. The denial of a wheelchair, coupled with the visible difficulty he had in walking, has raised alarms about the treatment he is receiving and whether his health is being adequately cared for during his incarceration.

Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, has been under increasing regulatory pressure globally, and Gambaryan’s case has drawn significant attention from the international community. His continued detention and the recent video have led to calls for greater transparency and a thorough investigation into the circumstances of his imprisonment.

As concerns mount, human rights organizations and the legal team representing Gambaryan are expected to push for improved conditions and a reassessment of his detention. The video has added a new layer of urgency to the calls for his release or, at the very least, the provision of proper medical care.

The court proceedings on Monday were closely watched, and the viral video has only intensified the scrutiny on how Gambaryan’s case is being handled.

“I’m not okay, this is f*cked up,” Gambaryan said in the video, as he clutched the guard’s wrist for support. When the guard stepped away, leaving Gambaryan with only a single crutch to lean on, Gambaryan turned to a small crowd of onlookers and said:

“He was told not to help me. He said there’s instruction – this is f*cked up. Why couldn’t I use a goddamn wheelchair? This is a show. I’m a f*cking innocent person. Why are you doing this to me?”

After several visibly painful steps, Gambaryan reached again for the guard’s arm for support, but the guard snatched his arm away, telling Gambaryan: “Don’t hold me, please. You can walk.”

“I can’t f*cking walk, my spine is – this is f*cked up. I’m a f*cking human,” Gambaryan said in the video. “I’m not f*cking okay.”

Gambaryan’s lawyers filed a new application for bail on medical grounds on Monday, urging the judge to release him so he can receive medical care for conditions he has developed in prison, including malaria, pneumonia, tonsillitis, and complications from a herniated disc in his back – the latter of which has left him in severe pain and nearly unable to walk, according to a spokesperson for his family.

A prosecutor for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) – the entity currently prosecuting Gambaryan for money laundering – reportedly opposed the bail application, arguing that Gambaryan was not, in fact, in ill health and claiming he was refusing treatment.

Gambaryan’s previous bail application was denied in May.

Authorities of Kuje prison, where Gambaryan has been held since March, have previously refused to turn over Gambaryan’s health records but, according to a family spokesperson, some of his records were given to the court during Monday’s bail hearing. The medical records indicate a need for immediate surgery, the spokesperson said, but “key elements of the record including an MRI scan were missing.”

In addition to being denied adequate medical care, Gambaryan has also been denied proper access to his lawyers and U.S. embassy staff, the spokesperson said.

“This situation is entirely unjust,” Gambaryan’s wife Yuki said in a statement. “The U.S. Government must do more to help Tigran. I urge them to use every available tool to free an innocent American who is at risk of permanent damage…This entire situation is inhumane and degrading, and I am fed up. There must be consequences for this disregard of law and human rights.”