Former American Marine pilot fights extradition

SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — An ex-United States Marine pilot accused of illegally training China’s military has launched an 11th hour bid to fight his extradition from Australia to the US, his family said Tuesday.

Daniel Edmund Duggan was arrested in Australia in October 2022 at the request of the US government, which accuses him of breaking arms control laws.

It alleges he illegally trained Chinese military pilots between 2010 and 2012, after he left the Marines.

Duggan has denied the charges.

Australia’s Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus decided in December that Duggan would be extradited to the US “to face prosecution for the offenses of which he is accused.”

Duggan’s lawyers launched a legal appeal late Monday in Australia’s Federal Court to appeal his decision, his wife Saffrine said in a statement.

“We have been forced to resort to court action because the government has not been transparent about this case, despite Dan being locked up in maximum security prison for the past 26 months with no Australian charges,” she said.