Former US Marine Pilot Loses Extradition Appeal in Australia
A former US Marine pilot, Daniel Duggan, 57, has had his appeal against extradition to the United States dismissed by the Federal Court in Australia. Duggan, an Australian citizen, is sought by US authorities over allegations he violated US arms-trafficking laws by providing military training to Chinese fighter pilots in South Africa between 2010 and 2012.
Duggan, who has consistently denied the charges, was arrested in October 2022 in New South Wales following an extradition request from the US. US court documents allege he did not seek permission from the US government for the military training provided to Chinese forces.
Family Expresses Disappointment
Outside the court, Duggan's wife, Saffrine Duggan, expressed profound disappointment with the ruling and urged the Australian government to intervene. She stated that her husband, currently held in a maximum-security prison, is "an ordinary Australian going about his business who broke no Australian law." She highlighted the significant trauma and financial burden the case has imposed on their family over the past 1,273 days.
Duggan's legal team had previously argued that Australia should oppose the extradition due to the absence of an equivalent Australian law covering the US charges, a prerequisite for such requests. However, the extradition was approved by the then-Attorney General Mark Dreyfus in 2024.
The father-of-six, who has renounced his US citizenship, now has 28 days to lodge a further appeal against the Federal Court's decision, which also included an order for him to cover the government's legal costs.
