Daniel Edmund Duggan, a former American fighter pilot, will “vigorously” contest his extradition from Australia on secret charges
A former American fighter pilot being held in secretive custody in Australia will “vigorously” oppose being extradited to the US and is requesting the help of an intelligence watchdog, his attorney said on Friday. Daniel Edmund Duggan, a former U.S. Marine, was detained in Australia on October 21 during the same week that the British government issued a rare warning over China’s hiring of former military pilots.
The 54-year-old Duggan was detained at Washington’s request, according to the Australian government, even though U.S. authorities have refused to say more and the charges are still secret. According to Sources, Duggan was a “well-regarded” fighter jet pilot who had most recently worked in China instructing commercial flight crew.
Dennis Miralis, the defense attorney, announced that he would lodge a formal complaint on the actions of Australian intelligence agents during Duggan’s arrest. According to Miralis, Duggan’s extradition should be delayed until Australia’s intelligence watchdog has addressed this allegation.
According to Miralis, who spoke to reporters, “We will be making a complaint with the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, who handles complaints against national security officers.” “Mr. Duggan is a citizen of Australia. We beg the Americans not to become involved.
After a brief administrative hearing, Miralis addressed the public outside Sydney Local Court but did not elaborate on the potential scope of the case.
He condemned the way the American government handled Duggan’s arrest and claimed that he was still learning about the allegations. He claimed that “no factual material has been supplied” to back up the allegation that he was indicted covertly in the United States.
Duggan, a father of six, had just arrived from China when he was detained at Orange, a little town four hours to the west of Sydney.
Miralis said Duggan no longer had U.S. citizenship and was now a “proud Australian.” He “denies violating any international law, any Australian law, or any U.S. law,” Miralis added. He will vehemently defend this position.
According to the website for Duggan’s business, he spent more than ten years flying for the U.S. Marine Corps, rising to the rank of major and serving as a tactical flight instructor. After leaving the Marines, he ran an adventure flight business in Australia before relocating to Beijing in 2014, according to company documents.
Miralis claimed he had also filed a different grievance over Duggan’s treatment while incarcerated. He claimed that during a communication between Duggan and his attorneys that was protected by the law, a jail guard “personally intervened.”
Miralis said that Duggan would shortly be transferred to New South Wales, the nation’s most populated state, and housed in a maximum-security institution.
This bold and aggressive action worries us, Miralis added. He is faring as well as you might anticipate given the unusual circumstances. The governments of Australia and Britain have both recently raised concerns about Beijing allegedly stealing retired pilots to train its air force.
After British media reported that more than 30 pilots had accepted lucrative offers to train China’s military, China’s foreign ministry denied any knowledge of the employment of British pilots. In late November, the court will hear the case of Duggan again.
