An Australian judge on Thursday rejected former U.S. Marine Corps pilot Daniel Duggan's appeal against his extradition to the United States over allegations that he illegally trained Chinese military aviators more than a decade ago.
Key Takeaways
An Australian judge rejected former U.S. Marine pilot Daniel Duggan's appeal against extradition to the United States over allegations of training Chinese military pilots. He faces up to 65 years in prison if convicted on charges related to violating U.S. arms control laws.
- Federal Court Justice James Stellios dismissed Duggan's appeal, finding no jurisdictional errors in the extradition order
- Duggan is accused of illegally training Chinese military pilots between 2010 and 2012 while working as an instructor in South Africa
- His wife Saffrine vowed to continue fighting the extradition, calling it unjust political targeting
Federal Court Justice James Stellios ruled that no jurisdictional error was made in 2024 when then Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus ordered Duggan's extradition. The 57-year-old, who gained Australian citizenship in 2012 and renounced his U.S. citizenship, has been held in maximum security prisons since his arrest at a supermarket near his family home in New South Wales in October 2022.
Duggan is accused of training Chinese military pilots while working as an instructor for the Test Flying Academy of South Africa between 2010 and 2012. According to a 2016 indictment unsealed in late 2022, Duggan allegedly conspired with others to provide this training without obtaining appropriate licenses from the U.S. government.
The charges include one count of conspiracy to violate U.S. arms export laws and defraud the U.S., which carries a five-year jail term, two counts of arms export control violations each carrying potential 20-year prison terms, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering punishable by up to 20 years in jail.
Outside the court in Canberra, Duggan's wife Saffrine told reporters that his lawyers would consider a further appeal. She also asked Attorney-General Michelle Rowland to reverse the extradition order. 'We are very disappointed by this ruling and we will consider our options carefully,' she said. 'But make no mistake, we will not give up.'
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