Binance CEO Richard Teng has spoken out on the ongoing detention of colleague ​​Tigran Gambaryan in Nigeria, publicly claiming for the first time the crypto exchange’s compliance officer is “innocent and must be released.”

Gambaryan, a U.S. citizen overseeing financial crime compliance at the crypto exchange, and Nadeem Anjarwalla, Binance’s Africa regional manager, were detained following their arrival in Nigeria’s capital city, Abuja, on Feb. 26, amid accusations of Binance making illegal-transaction profits locally. Criminal charges were filed against them on Feb. 28. Anjarwalla later escaped from custody on March 22.

“To invite a company’s mid-level employees for collaborative policy meetings, only to detain them, has set a dangerous new precedent for all companies worldwide,” Teng …