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Arrest in Ibiza
Fergie Chambers, described as a pro-Palestine activist and heir to the Cox family fortune, was arrested in Spain on a U.S. extradition request alleging money laundering and other offences, with the arrest taking place on the island of Ibiza on Friday morning.
Middle East Eye reported that Chambers appeared before a judge the same day, and that the judge denied him bail pending extradition proceedings.
The Grayzone said it reviewed a sealed indictment for Chambers, alleging “international money laundering… with the intent to provide material support to and resources to foreign terrorist organizations,” and it said that if deported to the U.S. he faces up to 30 years in prison.
The Grayzone also said Chambers was jailed in Ibiza, Spain, on the orders of the U.S. Department of Justice, and that on July 10 six Spanish police vehicles surrounded Chambers’ car while he drove through Ibiza with his family.
Spanish left mobilizes
In Spain, thirteen Spanish left formations demanded that the government of Pedro Sánchez oppose Chambers’ extradition to the United States, framing the case as political as well as judicial.
webdo reported that the letter was addressed to the minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, and to the minister of the Presidency, of the Justice and of the Relations with the Cortes, Félix Bolaños.
webdo said the signatories asked the Spanish government to require from U.S. authorities “l’ensemble des éléments justifiant les poursuites engagées contre Chambers,” including checking that the facts amount to criminal offences rather than political activities, humanitarian donations, or support for media and organizations engaged for the Palestinian population.
The Grayzone said Chambers’ partner accused the U.S. government of “political persecution,” adding that Chambers’ detention marked “the first time an individual has faced extradition to the US from Spain for supporting the Palestinian cause.”
Indictment, prison risk
The Grayzone said the sealed indictment alleges that Chambers transferred approximately $7.5 million out of the country after leaving the United States in 2023 to seek opportunities to provide material support to Hamas.
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It also reported that Chambers’ supporters contend the funds were used for legal purposes, including investing in local businesses and sponsoring the Club Africain football team, which it described as current football league champions in Tunisia.
Middle East Eye said that if extradited and convicted on the lead count of international money laundering, Chambers faces a maximum sentence of 20 years' imprisonment.
Freedom Road Socialist Organization condemned what it called the “unjust arrest” and the U.S. Department of Justice’s extradition attempt, warning that if extradited to the U.S., Chambers “could be facing decades in prison.”
