Izquierda Unida (IU) has called on the Government to, in the event that Spanish Justice ends up authorizing the extradition of the American activist James 'Fergie' Cox Chambers, use the powers recognized by law to prevent his handover to the United States if it perceives a risk of violation of fundamental rights or if any of the legal causes that veto extradition occur.
IU deputies, integrated into the Sumar group in Congress and led by its spokesperson, Enrique Santiago, have registered a series of questions addressed to the Executive following Chambers' arrest last Friday, July 10, in Ibiza, following an extradition request filed by the United States under an international arrest warrant.
Although the specific reasons for the arrest have not yet been made public, the organization led by Antonio Maíllo links it to his political and financial support for the Palestinian cause. According to them, Chambers received around 250 million dollars in 2023 by selling his inherited stake in Cox Enterprises. Part of that capital would have been allocated to humanitarian projects in Gaza and to fund pro-Palestinian activist organizations and media outlets.
Izquierda Unida states that the accusation by the US Department of Justice against the activist is based exclusively on the transfer of his own funds to Tunisia, the country where he resided and where he and his businesses supported Club Africain.
Up to 30 years in prison in the United States
If the federal charges are confirmed, Chambers would face crimes that could carry a sentence of up to 30 years in prison. One day after his arrest, the Central Investigating Court of the Audiencia Nacional rejected his request for release on bail, so he remains in preventive detention, although the order regulating his personal situation has been appealed.
In the parliamentary initiative, which Europa Press has had access to, IU asks the Government to detail its assessment of the extradition request submitted by the US authorities and of the allegations that suggest it could be driven, totally or partially, by political motives linked to Chambers' support for the Palestinian cause.
The formation frames the arrest within a "context of growing repression" by the Donald Trump Administration against the Palestine solidarity movement and protests on US territory, as well as in a climate of tension between the American president and his Spanish counterpart, Pedro Sánchez, following the latter's criticism of Israel's actions in Gaza.
The Extradition Law Supports the Refusal
In this scenario, IU recalls that Article 4 of the Passive Extradition Law establishes that extradition shall not be granted for offenses of a political nature, nor when the requesting state does not guarantee that the person sought will not be executed or subjected to penalties that harm their physical integrity or to inhuman or degrading treatment.
The formation also cites Article 5, which empowers the refusal of extradition when there are well-founded indications that a request for a common crime conceals the purpose of prosecuting or punishing someone for their race, religion, nationality, or political opinions, or that their situation may worsen for these reasons.
The initiative further emphasizes that, according to Article 6, a judicial resolution declaring an extradition admissible does not bind the Government, which may reject it in the exercise of national sovereignty, taking into account the principle of reciprocity or reasons of security, public order, or other essential interests for Spain.
Risk of Torture and Political Persecution
Therefore, IU questions the Executive on what criteria it uses to assess the existence of a risk of torture, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, the imposition of sentences incompatible with European human rights standards, or possible persecution for political reasons.
Finally, the coalition wants to know if the Government considers that the protection of freedoms of expression, association, and participation in international solidarity activities should be taken into account when examining extradition requests made by third states whose interests are contrary to those defended by the persons sought.