Tigran Gambaryan, the U.S. Binance executive currently detained in Nigeria, is reportedly being unjustly deprived of sufficient legal representation while his health is deteriorating swiftly, according to an alarming statement from his family.

Gambaryan, who was transported by wheelchair to an Abuja courtroom for a hearing on July 16th, has since faced an extended court recess, with the next hearing scheduled for October 11th. His legal representatives have been barred from visiting him at Kuje prison since July 26th, and he is now reportedly bedridden.

In response, Gambaryan’s legal team has petitioned for his case to be expedited during the judicial recess.

Neither Binance, Nigeria’s Securities and Exchange Commission, nor the Financial Crimes Commission of Nigeria have provided immediate comments regarding the situation.

Moreover, the family claims that the prison is still withholding Gambaryan’s medical records, despite a court mandate for their release. The executive suffers from a herniated disc, necessitating complex and perilous surgery. Compounded by multiple throat infections and pneumonia contracted in Kuje, Gambaryan now also requires tonsil removal. Given his bedridden state, he is prescribed blood thinners to mitigate the risk of blood clots.

The distressing case has elicited intervention from U.S. Congress members who have urged President Joe Biden’s administration to facilitate Gambaryan’s return to the U.S. The former Internal Revenue Service agent and current head of financial crime compliance at Binance has been held since his voluntary visit to Nigeria in February. He faces money laundering charges, to which he has pleaded not guilty, while earlier tax charges were dismissed in June.