Former US Marine pilot who trained Chinese flyers appeals extradition from Aus

16/10/2025 17:02

Former U.S. Marine Corps pilot Daniel Duggan appealed in an Australian court on Thursday against extradition to the United States on charges of violating U.S. arms control laws in relation to China, with his lawyer arguing that his conduct was not an offence in Australia at the time.



In December 2024, Australia's then attorney-general Mark Dreyfus approved a United States extradition request for Duggan, who faces U.S. charges including that he trained Chinese military pilots to land on aircraft carriers.



Duggan, 57, a naturalised Australian citizen, was arrested by Australian Federal Police in a rural town in the state of New South Wales in October 2022, shortly after returning from China, where he had lived since 2014.



Duggan appeared in the federal court in Canberra on Thursday, clean-shaven in a dark blue suit.



He sat erect in his seat as he followed the proceedings with a pen and documents on his lap but did not speak until after the arguments had been heard, when he thanked the judge for allowing him to attend and "see justice done".