The United States is seeking the extradition of wealthy American donor James “Fergie” Chambers from Spain over allegations that he provided financial support to Hamas, accusations he has denied.
Chambers was arrested on July 10 on the Spanish island of Ibiza while he and his wife, actress and activist Stella Schnabel, were looking for a school for their five-year-old son.
Schnabel told Al Jazeera that several unmarked vehicles stopped their car before Spanish police officers ordered them out. Chambers was handcuffed and taken away, she said.
According to US authorities, Chambers transferred about $7.5 million to Tunisia, with prosecutors alleging that the money was eventually used to support Hamas. However, the indictment against him remains sealed, meaning the precise allegations have not yet been made public.
Chambers, 41, is the heir to the family behind Atlanta-based Cox Communications. In 2023, he reportedly reached an agreement with members of his family under which his stake in the company was bought back for about $250 million.
Since leaving the family business, Chambers has reportedly financed humanitarian and philanthropic projects in several countries. His legal team says he has donated more than $1 million to humanitarian initiatives in Gaza, including projects providing bread, water and medical assistance.
Schnabel strongly rejected the US allegations, describing the case against her husband as politically motivated.
She said the $7.5 million transferred to Tunisia was his own money and was moved there while the couple lived in the country. She said some of the funds were used for philanthropic activities, including financial support for Tunisian football club Club Africain.
“We hope that Spain will not grant extradition,” Chambers’ lawyer, Spanish human-rights attorney Baltasar Garzón, told Al Jazeera. He argued that the case amounted to political persecution because of Chambers’ political views and humanitarian support for Palestinians.
US authorities have not publicly disclosed the full evidence against Chambers. The US Department of Justice declined to comment on the case when contacted.
Spanish authorities are now examining the extradition request. Under Spanish law, officials may consider whether sending Chambers to the United States could expose him to political persecution, which could potentially provide grounds for rejecting the request.
Chambers has also been an outspoken critic of Israel’s actions in Gaza. Following the October 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel, he publicly condemned Israel’s military response and described it as genocide.
His wife said the case could have wider implications for activists and donors supporting Palestinians.
She argued that his arrest represented an alarming development that could allow the US administration to pursue people outside American territory because of their political views or humanitarian activities.
Garzón, who gained international attention in 1998 after seeking the extradition of former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet from Britain, said Chambers’ legal team was seeking his provisional release and preparing further legal action.
The extradition proceedings will now depend on the assessment by Spanish authorities and courts.
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