US accused of altering Spanish extradition request for activist

Attorneys for James 'Fergie' Chambers, a jailed leftwing donor, claim the Trump administration altered legally required Spanish translations of its extradition request to Spain. The changes, they say, added words like 'violent', 'detonate', and 'fires' that are not in the original English text.

The legal team identified multiple instances where the US translation created more severe legal accusations than the original English version. These changes allegedly relate to Chambers' alleged involvement in paying legal fees for activists who participated in a 2023 protest against Israeli weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems.

Chambers' case is the first known instance of the US seeking to extradite a citizen over alleged support for Hamas. The accusations are tied to a money laundering charge and donations to Palestinian causes, including the Sameer Project in Gaza.

The attorneys filed a last-minute request with the National Court of Spain, asking for a new translation and for the court to recognize the 'bad faith' actions of the US. They also learned that Chambers' extradition hearing has been scheduled for 13 November.

The legal defense team provided detailed examples of what they call a 'translation that has fictitiously added incriminating acts, in presumed bad faith'. They argue the goal is to mislead Spanish authorities in evaluating the case and deciding on extradition.

Spanish law and the US-Spain extradition treaty require extradition requests to be translated into Spanish by the requesting country. Aitor Martínez, one of Chambers' lawyers, described the translation as 'scandalous', noting it joins a list of irregularities in the Trump administration's handling of the case.