An Australian pilot will be extradited to the United States to face charges over allegedly working with the Chinese military.
Daniel Duggan, 55, was arrested in New South Wales in 2022 on orders from the United States, accused of breaching arms trafficking laws by training Chinese pilots over a decade ago.
He denies the allegations made against him, which relate to his work at the Test Flying Academy of South Africa.
Mr Duggan’s family announced on Monday that the father of six could be surrendered as early as next week, labelling the federal government’s decision as “inhumane”.
“It is very difficult to explain to the children why this is happening to their father, especially now, at this time of year,” his wife Saffrine Duggan said in a statement.
“We are all terrified that we may not see him for a very long time. My children are very, very sad.”
Mr Duggan served as a pilot in the US Marines and became an Australian citizen 13 years ago.
Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus confirmed in a statement that he had determined last week that Mr Duggan should be extradited.
“Mr Duggan was given the opportunity to provide representations as to why he should not be surrendered to the United States,” Mr Dreyfus said.
“In arriving at my decision, I took into consideration all material in front of me.”
( News Source – Abc.net.au )
