Spain allows US extradition case against alleged Hamas donor to proceed

The Spanish government has allowed the extradition case against James Cox Chambers Jr, a US citizen, to proceed to court. Chambers, 41, is accused by the US government of money laundering, rioting, and conspiracy to riot, as well as transferring funds to a company in Tunisia. According to The Times of Israel, the Trump administration claims he funneled $7.5 million to Hamas.

Chambers, also known as Fergie Chambers, denies the accusations and his defence team claims the money transfers were donations for humanitarian projects, including in Gaza. He was arrested on July 10 in Ibiza, Spain. The Spanish Council of Ministers voted to allow the case to proceed, with further steps required at the Spanish National Court.

The final decision on extradition will be made by the Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. It would be rare for the Cabinet to reject a court-backed extradition to the US. This is the first time the US government has sought extradition for allegedly supporting Hamas.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Times of Israel, The National UAE, The National Business — 3 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.