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Daniel Duggan has been held in custody for three and a half years, accused of violating US arms-trafficking laws by instructing Chinese pilots in South Africa between 2010 and 2012.
The Duggan family’s protracted battle against his extradition suffered a significant setback in December 2024 when the then-attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, sanctioned the extradition process.
In a succinct yet impactful ruling, Justice James Stellios rejected the appeal and ordered Duggan to cover the government’s legal expenses.
An appeal against this decision can be filed within the next 28 days.
Duggan’s legal team contended that the alleged offense was not recognized as a crime in Australia at the time, which contradicts the stipulations of the extradition treaty.
An offence must have been criminal in both the requesting and requested countries for an extradition to be legally permissible.
Ms Duggan gathered with supporters to hear the decision being handed down.
She has been open about the crippling financial toll the legal battle has taken on her family, who estimate their legal bills amount to about half a million dollars.
Duggan has been refused Legal Aid, while an injunction placed on his family’s half-built house means they can neither sell it nor live in it.
He had been kept in a maximum security prison in central NSW around 100km from his family, Ms Duggan previously revealed.
Duggan previously wrote in a letter from prison that he believed his activities were not illegal and Australian and US intelligence services knew of his work.
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