Daniel Duggan: Wife of arrested Top Gun pilot calls on Prime Minister to ‘disagree with US’ and block husband’s extradition

The wife of an arrested former US marine, whose lawyer said was a pawn in a geopolitical fight, has said her children are “distraught” and appealed to Albo to intervene. See his heartfelt letters to his children.

Daniel Duggan and his children at their Orange, NSW, home. Picture: Supplied

The wife of a detained former Top Gun pilot, whose lawyer said was a pawn in a US-China geopolitical fight, has described the family’s “awful situation” and her “distraught” children, while making an impassioned plea to the prime minister to help her husband.

Former US marine pilot Daniel Duggan has been detained since October at Silverwater Correctional Centre as he fights an extradition request from the US.

The extradition case, his wife Saffrine Duggan said, was “tearing the family apart”.

“Our children are distraught not to have their father home and feel very anxious and distressed about his imprisonment,” Mes Duggan said.

US authorities allege the 54-year-old breached money laundering and arms export control laws by allegedly teaching Chinese pilots how to land on an aircraft carrier via an online academy.

Daniel and Saffrine Duggan. Picture: Supplied

The ex-marine now lives in Orange with wife and his six children. Previous to that he ran Top Gun Tasmania, a flying school.

US authorities allege he was paid thousands of dollars for his expertise but he had not sought US approval to teach foreign pilots.

Mr Duggan vehemently denies the allegations.

From their family home Mrs Duggan pleaded with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to step in and save her husband.

“Our prime minister has said many times in relation to Australia’s foreign policy he will ‘co-operate where we can and disagree where we must’,” she said.

Daniel Duggan is a former US marine aviator.

Saffrine said her husband was a “patriot” and he denied all the allegations.

“Surely this is one case where the prime minister and Attorney-General must disagree with the US and defend Australian sovereignty?”

Duggan recently penned a handwritten note from his cell to his children.

“Your father sends his heartfelt love to you all,” the note said.

“He misses and loves you all very much.”

Letters from dad Daniel Duggan to his six children, written while detained in Silverwater. Picture: Supplied

Letters from dad Daniel Duggan to his six children, written while detained in Silverwater. Picture: Supplied

Mrs Duggan – who said she has only seen her husband twice, his children not once – said handwritten notes from Duggan’s children were being holed up.

“Dan strenuously rejects all charges against him as being of a political character, and his indictment contains half-truths, falsehoods and gross embellishments,” she said.

The 54-year-old was arrested in October last year at the request of the US Federal Bureau for Investigation. On Christmas Day, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus accepted the extradition request. Duggan moved to Australia and renounced his US citizenship in 2012.

Mrs Duggan said her husband was being held in a 2m x 4m cell and was classified as an extreme high-risk inmate, with no explanation given to her as to why.

“Under these extreme conditions, Dan is managing to find enough energy to focus on proving his innocence,” she said.

“Dan has no criminal history of any kind, and it makes no sense that he is being held under the harshest prison conditions that are usually reserved for violent criminals.

Daniel Duggan and his children at their Orange, NSW, home. Picture: Supplied

“I absolutely stand behind my husband, and I emotionally appeal to the Australian government and my fellow Australians to reject this unfair, prejudicial and unprecedented prosecution against my husband,” she said.

Saffrine said her own father’s health had nosedived since the ordeal started and suffered a stress-induced heart trauma, which required emergency surgery, but the family was grateful for support.

“Our family has been buoyed by the overwhelming support they’ve received from around Australia and the world, but we are struggling to make ends meet and fight these allegations,” she said

Daniel Duggan and his children at their Orange, NSW, home. Picture: Supplied

Duggan’s matter appeared at Sydney’s Downing Local Court on Monday where court heard it would return in March to allow time for the ex-pilot to receive requisitioned documents from US and Australian government bodies.

His lawyer Dennis Miralis revealed in court his client gave “formal instructions to contest the extradition request” in what would “be a lengthy process”.

Outside court, Mr Miralis told reporters their fight against Duggan’s extradition would be centred on a political objection: “identifying he is not eligible for surrender because of the political nature of this prosecution,” he said.

High-profile lawyer Dennis Miralis is leading the legal fight for Daniel Duggan. Picture: AFP

He added they’d also explore the “double criminality” issue: “that extradition should fail as double criminality (in both countries) has not been met”.

“Regrettably, we also haven’t been getting the governmental co-operation which would ensure his defence”, given secrecy provisions, Mr Miralis said.

The lawyer previously said his client was a pawn in a “geopolitical contest between US and China”.

Duggan will fight the extradition request and a local court magistrate will determine whether Mr Duggan is legally eligible for surrender, but Attorney-General Mr Dreyfus will make the final call.

The Attorney-General’s office said the extradition request would be determined against specific criteria.

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