Spain’s Council of Ministers authorized the extradition process for pro-Palestine donor Fergie Chambers to proceed on September 22 after the Trump administration accused him laundering $7.5M with the intent of providing material support to Hamas.
The decision followed protests across Spain and statements from trade unions and political groups urging so-called “pro-Palestine” Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to reject the extradition.
Chambers’ legal defense appealed the decision to the Audiencia Nacional, Spain’s national high court. The court will consider the case before the Spanish government can issue a final extradition order.
Chambers’ lawyer Baltasar Garzón released a statement condemning the decision by Spain’s executive branch, calling it “a dangerous precedent regarding the defense of the Palestinian cause.”
“Spain cannot defend international law, the rights of the Palestinian people and the protection of those who provide humanitarian aid while at the same time allowing a request to proceed with an extradition that shows clear signs of political persecution by the US Government,” he said.
Chambers’ wife, Stella Schnabel, said Fergie gave $250,000 to the Sameer Project, helping establish a bakery, desalination plant, and medical clinic in northern Gaza. Following his arrest, the project had to pause operations, impacting tens of thousands of Palestinians facing forced starvation by the US and Israel. Chambers also donated $100,000 to the Zaynab Project, which supports orphaned children in Gaza with free lifelong mental health resources.
Schnabel also denounced Sánchez’s cabinet for moving forward with the extradition, saying the move opens the door to treating solidarity with the Palestinian people as a crime.
“[The decision] risks extending the Trump administration’s repression of pro-Palestine and progressive movements into Europe,” she said.
Chambers’ political persecution came shortly after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio convened senior officials from more than 60 countries for a summit focused on fighting “far-left terrorism.” Since then, the Trump administration has launched investigations into several activist organizations and ramped up imperialist aggression against countries like Cuba and Iran.
Pro-Palestine activists in the US have pointed out that Fergie’s extradition case further exposes the bankruptcy of social democracy. The day after Sánchez’s cabinet moved forward with Chambers’ extradition request, Sánchez gave a “pro-Palestine” speech at the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly. Days later, he recorded a video with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. In the video, Sánchez and Mamdani said that “being a leftist means taking big shots, and making them”.
Image: Prime Minister of Spain Pedro Sánchez speaks at the European Parliament, 2019. Credit: CC-BY-4.0: © European Union 2019 – Source: EP.
The Worker is an entirely volunteer-run revolutionary newspaper free from and radically antagonistic to corporate influence. We rely on the support of our readers to sustain our editorial line in service of the working class and the reconstitution of its party, the Communist Party. Make a one-time or recurring donation to our newspaper today:
Make a one-time donation
Make a monthly donation
Make a yearly donation
Choose an amount
Or enter a custom amount
Your contribution is appreciated.
Your contribution is appreciated.
Your contribution is appreciated.
