American multimillionaire James Cox 'Fergie' Chambers Jr. arrested in Ibiza.
The American businessman and activist is under provisional arrest while the crimes attributed to him and the country that has requested his extradition have not transpired
PalmaThe American billionaire James Cox 'Fergie' Chambers Jr., a member of one of the United States' great fortunes and known for his activism in favor of the Palestinian cause, remains provisionally detained in Ibiza after being arrested on Saturday in compliance with an international arrest warrant.
According to sources close to the case confirmed to EFE, Chambers Jr. was arrested on the island, but, for the moment, neither the crimes attributed to him nor the State that issued the international search and arrest warrant have been disclosed.
Chambers is part of the owner family of the business conglomerate Cox Enterprises, one of the largest fortunes in the United States, and in recent years has stood out for his left-wing political activism and his public support for the Palestinian cause.
Podemos claims he should not be extradited
Following the arrest, Podem Illes Balears has called this Monday for Spain to reject any potential extradition of Chambers to the United States, considering that the request would respond to political persecution.
The party's regional coordinator, Lucía Muñoz, has accused Donald Trump's administration of trying to "extend beyond its borders the persecution against those who denounce the genocide in Gaza and support the Palestinian cause".
Muñoz has argued that Spain "cannot be an accomplice" to this situation and has called for any judicial decision to be made with all the guarantees of respect for human rights, without it being used "to repress activism and international solidarity".
"Solidarity is not a crime," stated the Podem leader, who has warned that attempts to associate the defense of Palestine with criminal activity are becoming increasingly frequent.
The party has also warned that a potential extradition could establish "a very serious precedent" for democratic rights and freedoms.
For now, Chambers remains under provisional arrest while the judicial procedure derived from the international arrest warrant is processed. Details about the accusations motivating his arrest have not yet been made public.
Family members denounce "political persecution"
The Chambers family has reported this Monday that the extradition request responds to a "political persecution" driven by the Donald Trump administration following the businessman's activism in favor of the Palestinian cause. In a statement, it assures that the most serious accusation refers to an alleged financing of the Palestinian resistance, a charge it considers "fabricated" and based on economic transfers that Chambers allegedly made to Tunisia, where he resided and developed business and sports sponsorship projects.
According to the family, after selling his stake in Cox Enterprises in 2023, Chambers is said to have allocated a large part of his fortune to international solidarity initiatives, including over a million pounds for humanitarian projects in Gaza. His partner, Stella Schnabel, maintains that the businessman is being persecuted "for using his fortune to support Palestine" and has called on lawyers, political representatives, and organizations to mobilize, coinciding with the court hearing scheduled for this Thursday, where the pre-trial detention will be reviewed. Spanish authorities continue to not report on the specific crimes that underpin the extradition request, and the United States Department of Justice has also not made any formal charges public.