Who Is Daniel Duggan? Ex Fighter Pilot Accused Of Training Chinese Military To Be Extradited To US

Australia’s Attorney General, Mark Dreyfus, confirmed on Monday that Daniel Duggan, a former US Marine accused of training Chinese military pilots, will be extradited to the United States to face charges. This decision represents a setback for Duggan’s supporters, who had been campaigning for his release. Duggan, a naturalized Australian, was arrested in New South Wales in 2022 based on a 2017 indictment filed in the United States, which accuses him of violating a US arms embargo by training Chinese military pilots.

Duggan denies the allegations, asserting that US officials were aware of his activities and that his work involved training civilian pilots as part of China’s growing aviation sector. He has insisted that his actions were not in violation of any laws.

Attorney General Defends Extradition

Mark Dreyfus defended the decision to extradite Duggan, stating, “Mr. Duggan was given the opportunity to provide representations as to why he should not be surrendered to the United States. In arriving at my decision, I took into consideration all material in front of me.” His comments followed an earlier court ruling in May, which approved Duggan’s extradition.

The extradition decision has left Duggan’s family devastated. His wife, Saffrine Duggan, expressed her shock and heartbreak in a statement, calling the decision “callous and inhumane” as it was made just before Christmas. She added, “We feel abandoned by the Australian Government and deeply disappointed that they have completely failed in their duty to protect an Australian family. We are now considering our options.” Duggan’s family, including their six children, have been vocal in their opposition to his extradition.

What Are The Charges Against Daniel Duggan?

Daniel Duggan has been in custody since his arrest in October 2022, just weeks after returning to Australia from a six-year stint in China. His arrest followed a request from US authorities, based on a 2017 indictment in the District of Columbia. The indictment claims that Duggan was instructed by the US State Department in 2008 to register with the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls before training a foreign air force. Instead, Duggan allegedly conspired with others, including the Test Flying Academy of South Africa (TFASA), to export defense services in violation of an arms embargo on China.

In 2023, TFASA issued a statement affirming its commitment to complying with the laws of all jurisdictions it operates in. The company clarified that Duggan undertook a test-pilot contract in South Africa in 2012, but did not participate in any training activities in China.

Daniel Duggan: Background and Legal Defense

Duggan moved to China in 2013 and renounced his US citizenship in 2016 at the US embassy in Beijing. His lawyers argue that his renunciation of US citizenship was backdated to 2012 to align with his acquisition of Australian citizenship.

Duggan’s legal team has strongly contested the charges, alleging that his case has become a political pawn amid rising US-China tensions. In an 89-page submission to Dreyfus’ office, Duggan’s lawyer, Bernard Collaery, described the extradition request as a “brutal response to US Sinophobia.” Collaery suggested that Duggan’s extradition could be seen as a significant moral and foreign policy failure by Australia, particularly as it could place him in a politically charged environment with a questionable prison system.

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