Overview
- The Audiencia Nacional issued the decision on Friday, October 9, 2026, ordering Chambers to remain in provisional prison because judges judged his ability to move abroad creates a high risk of flight.
- U.S. authorities have sought Chambers’ extradition on charges that include international money laundering and allegations of providing material support to designated terrorist organizations plus roles in riots and conspiracy tied to attacks on the arms firm Elbit Systems.
- Chambers’ defence, led by the firm of former judge Baltasar Garzón, argued the case is politically motivated and that his actions are protected protest and free speech, but the court rejected those claims at this stage without ruling on the substance of the U.S. charges.
- The court found the evidence of Spanish ties weak, noting Chambers had been in Spain about 10 days at arrest and that a rental contract described a temporary stay, and it rejected alternatives to detention such as bail or passport surrender.
- The ruling limits the court’s decision to procedural guarantees for a possible surrender and leaves open the extradition merits and a later surrender hearing, a process that could raise diplomatic and legal questions because some U.S. allegations may not match Spanish offenses.