Spanish court keeps US-sought philanthropist Fergie Chambers in jail over flight risk

The court's ruling

The Sala de lo Penal of the Audiencia Nacional dismissed the defence appeal on Friday, 9 October 2026, and upheld the decision of investigating judge Antonio Piña, who on 9 September refused provisional release for a second time. The court agreed with the prosecution that a flight risk persists, and it rejected every alternative the defence proposed, including bail, regular signing at a court and passport withdrawal. The judges did not assess the merits of the extradition claim, saying those arguments will be weighed at an upcoming extradition hearing on dates described as near. Chambers, 41, remains in the Aranjuez prison in the meantime.

The only suitable measure to guarantee the success of the handover, if it proceeds, is provisional imprisonment.

Why the judges see a flight risk

The court's reasoning rests on Chambers's economic capacity. The judges said he could relocate to another country that would guarantee he is not handed over to the United States, and they described land border controls as absolutely permeable, so surrendering his passport would not be enough. They also said his claimed ties to Spain did not outweigh that risk. The defence submitted six months of prepaid rent for his Ibiza home, a pre-contract to buy a flat, documents for a sports business on the island and evidence of his family's presence, including his pregnant wife and a daughter schooled in Spain. The court said that at the time of his arrest he had been in Spain only 10 days, and that the later steps were meant to prove roots he did not have. Chambers also invoked the principle of speciality, under which, if he is handed over, he could only be tried for the offences listed in the extradition request.

What the United States alleges

US authorities consider that money allegedly sent to Tunisia and Palestine could have ended up in the hands of terrorist organisations, and they also seek him over money laundering. The Interpol arrest warrant lists three offences: money laundering, riots and conspiracy to riot, which carry up to 30 years in prison in total in the United States. LaVanguardia reports that the court cited international money laundering to promote material support for designated foreign terrorist organisations, along with riot and conspiracy charges tied to 'direct action' campaigns involving violence against the arms maker Elbit Systems. The defence, led by the office of former judge Baltasar Garzón, rejects all of this. It says the funds went to a Tunisian football team, the construction of an oven and hospital support in Palestine, and it notes that the United States is not seeking him on terrorism charges. The defence also argues the request is politically motivated and that the conduct falls under freedom of expression and protest.

Background and the defendant

Chambers, an heir to a fortune from the family that owns the Cox group, was arrested in Ibiza on 10 July. At the time he was living there with his wife, the actress and producer Stella Schnabel. He denies the charges and says he is the victim of political persecution by the Trump administration because of his support for Palestine and his criticism of Israel. At a hearing on 28 September before Central Court of Instruction No. 6 he refused extradition and said he decided to live in Spain because he is 'on the good side of history'. The court's latest ruling does not resolve that refusal, which will be examined at the future extradition hearing.