More than 100 public figures urge Spain to block extradition of pro-Palestine US activist

More than 100 actors, musicians, writers, academics and activists called on Spain to reject the US extradition request for American millionaire and pro-Palestine activist James "Fergie" Chambers, calling the case against him "political persecution" in a petition published Wednesday.

Actors Richard Gere, Carlos Bardem and Cynthia Nixon, activists Angela Davis and Greta Thunberg and musicians Brian Eno, Roger Waters and Thurston Moore are among the signatories.

Chambers, 41, was arrested in Ibiza on July 10 at the request of US authorities and remains in detention without bail in Spain pending a decision on his possible extradition.

The joint statement accuses the Trump administration of targeting Chambers over his humanitarian work and support for Palestinians.

"The Spanish state, legally, can and should prevent this extradition and grant Fergie international protection through the recognition of his right to political asylum," it says.

The petition says Chambers, a former heir to the Cox family fortune, has donated more than $1 million to humanitarian projects in Gaza, including $250,000 to the Sameer Project for initiatives such as a bakery providing free bread, a desalination plant and a medical clinic in Jabalia. It says another $100,000 went toward mental health and psychosocial support for orphaned children.

The US is seeking Chambers' extradition over allegations involving money laundering and support for terrorist organizations, according to media reports, although the precise charges remain unclear because the US indictment is sealed.

The case reportedly centers on allegations that he laundered $7.5 million transferred from a US bank account to Tunisia, where he was living, and used the funds to support Hamas.

Chambers' partner, filmmaker Stella Schnabel, told Spanish daily El Pais that the money in question went to Tunisia's Club Africain football team to pay debts and overdue salaries and to finance sporting infrastructure.

His lawyer, Baltasar Garzon, told the Guardian in an interview published Tuesday that the case was "very strange" and described the indictment as "weak and diffuse."

"It's noteworthy that humanitarian aid and defending human rights is being criminalized," Garzon added. "It's a case of persecution … and they're not going to be able to find one cent directed at terrorist or violent acts."