US asks Spain to extradite pro-Palestinian donor
James “Fergie” Chambers was detained in Ibiza after US authorities accused him of providing material support to Hamas.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
3 min read
The United States is seeking the extradition of James “Fergie” Chambers from Spain after accusing him of financing “terrorism,” Al Jazeera and the Guardian reported. The case matters because lawyers, rights advocates and Spanish lawmakers say it signals an effort by the Trump administration to pursue pro-Palestinian activism beyond US borders.
Spanish authorities detained Chambers in Ibiza last Friday on an international arrest warrant, according to Al Jazeera and the Guardian. US authorities allege that Chambers provided material support to Hamas, the Palestinian group that governs Gaza and is designated by Washington as a “terror organisation.”
Chambers is being held in Madrid, Al Jazeera and the Guardian reported. Spain’s High Court has 40 days to decide on the US extradition request, while the final decision rests with the Council of Ministers.
Chambers is an heir to the family that owns Cox Communications, the US telecom company, according to Al Jazeera and the Guardian. The outlets reported that he has given more than $1m to pro-Palestinian causes and humanitarian projects in Gaza.
Supporters call case political
Stella Schnabel, Chambers’s partner, described the case as “political persecution,” saying he was being targeted for backing Palestinians and humanitarian work, according to Al Jazeera and the Guardian.
Irene Montero, a Spanish member of the European Parliament, also criticised the case. “Spain can’t collaborate with Trump in the persecution of solidarity with Palestine,” Montero said, according to Al Jazeera and the Guardian.
Stanley Cohen, a lawyer who has represented Hamas and Hezbollah in US courts, told the Guardian that the Trump administration’s pursuit of Chambers was “a conscious decision to target for political purposes.” Al Jazeera and the Guardian reported that lawyers, rights advocates and Spanish lawmakers have warned that Washington is trying to suppress support for Palestinians both inside and outside the United States.
Part of a wider US campaign, rights groups say
Al Jazeera reported that the extradition push comes amid a broader US campaign against pro-Palestinian activists. The outlet cited immigration enforcement and activist blacklists as tools used in that campaign.
Rights groups have also linked the US crackdown to Project Esther, which Al Jazeera described as a policy blueprint aimed at dismantling the pro-Palestinian movement. The report did not identify a formal charge sheet beyond the US allegation that Chambers provided material support to Hamas.
The request may also create political pressure for Spain’s government. Al Jazeera and the Guardian noted that extraditing Chambers would contrast with Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s public stance on Palestinian rights.
Sanchez’s government has recognised the state of Palestine, criticised what it calls Israel’s genocide in Gaza and supported humanitarian efforts for Gaza, according to Al Jazeera and the Guardian. Spain’s ministers will have the final say if the High Court allows the extradition process to proceed.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.