Fergie Chambers with the Club Africain of Tunisia shirt, which he rescued. Photo: El Salto Diario.
James ‘Fergie’ Cox Chambers Jr., a prominent pro-Palestine donor, was detained on Friday, July 10, in Ibiza under a provisional detention order issued by the National Court, responding to an extradition request from the US Department of Justice. On Friday, the court denied him bail while his extradition process is underway.
To prevent this extradition, 13 political organizations from Spain have sent a letter to Pedro Sánchez’s government, specifically addressing Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska, and Minister of the Presidency, Justice, and Relations with the Cortes, Félix Bolaños. The signatory parties emphasize that “the law allows the government to deny extradition even if a court has deemed it appropriate, especially if there are well-founded reasons to believe that the request aims to persecute or punish an individual for their political opinions.”
The letter was signed by members of Congress, including Gabriel Rufián, Gerardo Pisarello, Ione Belarra, Oskar Matute, and Enrique Santiago. Other notable figures, such as Laure Vega (CUP) and José Ignacio García (Adelante Andalucía), also signed. The 13 signatory organizations are CUP, ERC, Comuns, EH Bildu, BNG, Somos Asturies, Més per Mallorca, Compromís, IU, Adelante Andalucía, Podemos, Sumar, and Más Madrid.
Cox faces charges in the US for money laundering and for allegedly intending to provide material support and resources to foreign terrorist organizations. However, the signatories highlight that Chambers “is publicly identified as a donor and activist committed to the Palestinian cause, and to humanitarian and social projects supporting the population of Gaza.”
Chambers has consistently maintained that the sole reason for the legal action against him is his support for the Palestinian cause. As an heir to the US Cox family fortune, which is involved in media and automotive industries, ‘Fergie’ has garnered international media attention for his financial contributions to Gaza during the genocide perpetrated by “Israel”.
This aid has been deemed “vital” by Ghassan Abu Sitta, a leading figure in the global pro-Gaza movement. Chambers has consistently asserted that the funds being investigated by US Justice, which are alleged to have gone to the Hamas militia (considered a terrorist organization in that country), were in fact directed to human rights organizations and Club Africain, the Tunisian league champion, which the US philanthropist previously rescued.
Chambers’ associates have denounced the orchestrated actions by US Justice, stating (as reported in Middle East Eye) that “this extradition is part of a much broader campaign to repress global movements for emancipation and liberation, particularly those expressing solidarity with the peoples of the formerly colonized world.”
Fergie Chambers Faces US Extradition Over Dubious ‘Terrorism Financing’ Charges
Should the extradition proceed, Chambers faces a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison. Consequently, the 13 political organizations advocating against his extradition have, among other demands, requested that the government “require US authorities to provide complete documentation, not merely circumstantial or generic evidence, that proves the existence of specific criminal conduct, distinct from political activism, international solidarity, humanitarian donation, or support for social organizations and media.”
In addition to the political parties’ support, Extinction Rebellion Ibiza organized a protest (cacerolada) in front of the island’s courts on the afternoon of July 14, at 7 PM.
(El Salto Diario) by Pablo Elorduy
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
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