The US government has urged Nigeria to release Binance employee Tigran Gambaryan, who was arrested in Nigeria in February and is facing serious health problems in prison, two senior State Department officials said. The detention has become an important factor in diplomatic relations between the United States and Nigeria. Secretary of State Blinken communicated with Nigeria's foreign minister about the matter in May. Other American diplomats, including the ambassador to Nigeria, have also privately appealed to the Nigerian president, finance minister, attorney general and trade minister for Gambaryan's release. American diplomats said that on humanitarian grounds, Gambaryan, 40, should be released. He suffered from health problems such as malaria and a herniated spinal disc in prison, but his health has deteriorated sharply without proper medical treatment. Gambaryan arrived in Nigeria in February for talks with local officials about Binance's operations in the country. Nigerian authorities accused Binance of damaging the Nigerian economy by allowing users to move money out of the local currency, the naira, causing the exchange rate to collapse. Authorities charged Gambaryan and Binance with tax evasion and money laundering. The tax charges have been dropped, but other charges continue.