The general secretary of Podemos, Ione Belarra, visited the pro-Palestinian activist James 'Fergie' Chambers this Wednesday in Aranjuez prison (Madrid), where he has been in provisional detention since July 10. The leader took advantage of the meeting to demand his release from the Government and ask Spain to reject the extradition request presented by the United States.
Chambers was arrested in Ibiza at the request of US authorities, who accuse him of alleged money laundering and possible financial support for organizations linked to Hamas. The activist denies the accusations and maintains that the procedure is related to his support for Palestine.
Belarra's visit comes after the National Court rejected his request for provisional release on October 9. The magistrates considered that his high economic capacity posed a flight risk and decided to keep him in prison while the extradition procedure is resolved. Podemos, through a statement, criticized the Executive for allowing the processing of the US request to continue. The party believes that Spain must prevent the activist's handover and demands a political response to the actions promoted by the Donald Trump Administration.
Belarra accuses the Government of not defending the Palestinian cause
According to a statement from Podemos, Belarra assured after the visit that Chambers maintains a good state of mind and preserves "his strong political commitment intact" in favor of the rights of the Palestinian people. The leader also defended that the activist believes he has not committed any crime and relates his judicial situation to his support for Palestine.
"He is very clear that he has done nothing wrong and that they are only persecuting him for his solidarity with Palestine," said the general secretary of Podemos. The party leader demanded the "immediate release of Chambers from the Government, because denouncing a genocide cannot be a crime." In addition, she described it as "incomprehensible" that the activist remains in prison while the procedure requested by the United States progresses and criticized the Executive for maintaining the extradition process.
Belarra has also assured that "Chambers is the first political prisoner in Spain for the Palestinian cause and every minute he spends in prison is a minute in which the Government demonstrates that it has no real commitment to Palestine". The leader has urged both the National Court and the Executive to abandon the procedure and deny the extradition. These statements reflect Podemos' political position on the case and not a judicial qualification of the activist's situation.
The National Court maintains prison due to flight risk
Chambers' situation now depends on the judicial procedure regarding his possible extradition. On October 9, the Criminal Chamber of the National Court confirmed that he should remain in provisional prison, considering that there was a risk of flight due to his economic capacity.
The activist's defense, led by former judge Baltasar Garzón, has rejected the handover to the United States and maintains that the claim has a political motivation linked to his pro-Palestinian activism. Chambers has also denied the accusations and has asked not to be extradited. The Government authorized last September that the processing of the US request continue, but that decision did not mean definitively approving the extradition. The handover must follow the corresponding legal procedure and the final decision rests with the Executive once the judicial steps are completed.
For her part, Belarra has reiterated her demand that the activist be released from prison and has insisted that the Government must reject his handover to the United States. "He must be released immediately", she concluded.
