Sydney, Australia

Australia on Monday (Dec 23) took the decision to extradite Daniel Edmund Duggan to the US. Duggan, an ex-US Marine pilot, had allegedly illegally trained China's military pilots. 

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He was arrested in Australia in October 2022 at the request of the US government, which has accused him of breaking American arms control laws.

What are the charges against him?

The US alleged that the ex-marine illegally trained Chinese military pilots at a test flight academy "based in South Africa, with a presence in the People's Republic of China" between 2010 and 2012. This, the country claims, happened after he left the Marines in 2002.

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Government justification

Australian Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said that Duggan "should be extradited to the United States to face prosecution for the offences of which he is accused".

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"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," he added.

Family reacts

Duggan's family received formal notice of the decision on Friday in a terse letter that confirmed Duggan would be handed over to US authorities between December 30 and February 17. 

His wife, in a statement, said that the decision so close to Christmas was devastating.

"We are shocked and absolutely heartbroken by this callous and inhumane decision which has been delivered just before Christmas with no explanation or justification from the government," Duggan's wife, Saffrine, said in a statement.

They also said that Duggan's legal team is reviewing potential legal options for appeal, "including requesting specific reasons for the government’s decision". 

"We feel abandoned by the Australian government and deeply disappointed that they have completely failed in their duty to protect an Australian family," she added.

Duggan is expected to be extradited between December 30 and February 17, barring further legal interventions. For now, his family remains committed to fighting the decision, as the broader implications of the case continue to unfold on an international stage. 

(With inputs from agencies)