Spain Advances US Extradition Bid for Pro-Palestinian Donor James Chambers

Spain has cleared the way for a US extradition request against James Cox Chambers, an American multimillionaire and pro-Palestinian donor, to move forward to a court hearing, a court spokesperson said. A date for the proceedings is expected to be set in the coming weeks.

Chambers, 41, who is known as Fergie, was arrested in Ibiza on July 10 at the request of US authorities while on holiday. He remains in pre-trial detention in Madrid.

The case has become politically sensitive for Spain's Socialist-led government, whose pro-Palestinian position has drawn criticism from the Trump administration and added to broader tensions with Washington.

Chambers, a self-described anti-imperialist and communist, has publicly called for the destruction of the United States in interviews and on social media. A spokesperson said he received $250 million after divesting from his family's media conglomerate, Cox Enterprises, in 2023.

His legal team says he has donated more than $1 million to humanitarian causes in Gaza and has paid legal fees for some members of Palestine Action, a group designated as a terrorist organisation by the United States and Britain over actions that include targeting Israel-linked defence companies.

The United States has not publicly detailed the charges against Chambers. His lawyers say they include money laundering and conspiracy to commit disorderly conduct. The US Department of Justice declined to comment on the charges.

The case has drawn attention from prominent pro-Palestinian figures. A letter signed by 150 activists and celebrities, including Richard Gere, Greta Thunberg and Fatima Bhutto, urged Spain not to proceed with the extradition.

Chambers' lawyers and Sumar, the junior partner in the Socialist-led coalition, argue that the absence of publicly available evidence suggests he is being targeted for his political views. Under Spanish law, extradition cannot proceed if a request is found to be politically motivated.

"This extradition would set an alarming precedent in Europe if Spain permits the Trump administration to criminalise humanitarian aid vital to the Palestinian people," said Chambers' lawyer Baltasar Garzon, who has filed an asylum application for his client in Spain.

Government spokesperson Elma Saiz described the decision to advance the case as "purely procedural" and said the cabinet would make the final determination after the court process concludes.