An Australian father who served as an American fighter pilot will face court in the United States after federal Attorney General Mark Dreyfus approved his extradition, as his devastated family say they have been “abandoned” by the government.
Daniel Duggan, 56, has already spent two years behind bars over allegations he illegally trained Chinese military personnel.
The father of six made a last-ditch attempt to avoid prosecution in the United States, sending an 89-page submission to Dreyfus after a New South Wales magistrate ruled in May that he was eligible for extradition.
But on Monday, Dreyfus confirmed that he had given the green light for Duggan’s extradition.
Duggan’s children were “very sad” about the decision, the family said.
“We are shocked and absolutely heartbroken by this callous and inhumane decision taken just before Christmas with no explanation or justification from the Government,” Mr Duggan’s wife Saffrine said in a statement.
“We feel abandoned by the Australian government and deeply disappointed that they have completely failed in their duty to protect an Australian family.”
He said they were now considering their legal options, including possibly asking for specific reasons for the government’s decision to extradite him.
Daniel Duggan (pictured), 56, has already spent two years behind bars over allegations he illegally trained Chinese military personnel.
Duggan’s family was “shocked and absolutely heartbroken by this cruel and inhumane decision” (Duggan is pictured with his wife, Saffrine, and their children).
“It’s very difficult to explain to children why this is happening to their father, especially now, at this time of year,” Mrs Duggan added.
Dreyfus confirmed that the extradition had been approved, but did not reveal when Duggan would be transferred to the United States, citing a long-standing government practice of not commenting on operational issues related to extradition.
‘Recognising the public interest in this matter, I confirm that on 19 December 2024 I determined, under section 22 of the Extradition Act 1988 (Cth), that Daniel Duggan should be extradited to the United States to face prosecution for the crimes of which he is accused. ”he said in a statement.
‘Mr Duggan was given the opportunity to explain why he should not be handed over to the United States.
“In making my decision, I took into consideration all the material in front of me.”
Duggan was arrested in Australia in October 2022 at the behest of the United States after being accused of violating arms trafficking laws by providing military training to Chinese pilots in South Africa between 2010 and 2012.
He allegedly received around $100,000 for his services.
If convicted in the United States, Duggan faces up to 60 years in prison.
Molly Duggan (left) previously said she doesn’t believe her father, Daniel Duggan (right), will ever be the same after spending 19 months in solitary confinement while facing extradition to the US.
Australia has no equivalent laws.
In May, Duggan’s daughter, Molly, told him 60 minutes He fears the father he once knew has been broken after 19 months of isolated incarceration inside Lithgow Correctional Centre, 150 kilometers west of Sydney.
“I’ll probably never have my dad again,” she told the show.
He’s been in maximum security for so long.
‘Can you imagine being isolated like this for so long?
“He’s not going to be the same person he was before he was taken away.”
She doesn’t believe her father is a criminal.
“I feel like our world has been torn apart and I want the trauma to end,” Molly added.
Duggan claims he is completely innocent and only trained civilian pilots with information available in online textbooks while he was in South Africa.
Mrs Duggan called on Australia to stand firm and avoid accelerating the application of a “death sentence” to her husband.
“It means my children lose their father, our family is torn apart by something that can be stopped,” she said.
“It’s absolutely incredible to think Australia would do this.”