An Australian choose on Thursday rejected an attraction by former U.S. Marine Corps pilot Daniel Duggan to keep away from extradition to america over allegations that he illegally skilled Chinese language army aviators greater than a decade in the past.
Duggan is accused of coaching Chinese language army pilots whereas working as an teacher for the Take a look at Flying Academy of South Africa. Duggan has denied the allegations, contending they had been political posturing and that the U.S. was unfairly singling him out.
Federal Courtroom Justice James Stellios dominated in dismissing the attraction that no jurisdiction error was made in 2024 by then Legal professional-Common Mark Dreyfus in ordering Duggan’s extradition.
Duggan’s spouse and mom of his six kids, Saffrine Duggan, instructed reporters exterior the courtroom in Canberra that his legal professionals would take into account an extra attraction. Legal professionals are additionally asking Dreyfus’s successor as attorney-general, Michelle Rowland, to reverse the extradition order.
DAVID GRAY / AFP by way of Getty Photos
“We’re very disillusioned by this ruling and we are going to take into account our choices rigorously. However make no mistake, we is not going to surrender,” Saffrine Duggan mentioned. “Right now doesn’t finish our seek for justice.”
Rowland’s workplace famous the courtroom ruling and mentioned in an announcement Daniel Duggan would “stay in extradition custody in Australia till his give up to america.”
A 2016 indictment from the U.S. District Courtroom in Washington, which was unsealed in late 2022, alleges Duggan conspired with others to offer coaching to Chinese language army pilots in 2010 and 2012, and presumably different instances, with out making use of for an applicable license.
Warwick Ponder / Handout by way of REUTERS
Prosecutors allege Duggan acquired about 9 funds totaling round 88,000 Australian {dollars} ($61,000) from one other conspirator in addition to journey to the U.S., South Africa and China for what was typically described as “private improvement coaching.”
Duggan, who’s 57 and was born in Boston, has been held in most safety prisons since he was arrested in 2022 at a grocery store close to his household residence in New South Wales.
Duggan lived and labored in China for about 5 years earlier than his arrest, company data confirmed.
He served within the U.S. Marines for 12 years earlier than migrating to Australia in 2002. He gained Australian citizenship in January 2012, giving up his U.S. citizenship within the course of.
