Free Dan Duggan
Update
09 Oct 2025
Today marks one week until Dan faces his battle in the Federal Court in Canberra, to overturn his extradition. It has been an agonising three years of him being locked in maximum-security and separated from his loving family.
We urgently need to raise $22,000 before the court date for the barrister. Please if you can, help this family by donating to their legal fund here: https://chuffed.org/project/109154-dan-duggan-extradition-legal-fund
Dan is innocent. A pawn in an ideological war between the US and China. It is time Dan came home to his family and loved ones.
We desperately hope that Dan will be free to come home to his family who miss him beyond comprehension. The Attorney-General and our government have so far abandoned this Aussie family.
Update
05 Sep 2025
How much does it cost you to make a phone call these days? Did you know it costs the Duggan’s $2.50 for every phone call that Dan calls his wife Saffrine or his six kids from prison? And his calls are monitored and restricted to 10 minutes each.
That adds up to more than $400 a month for the family to stay in contact with their Aussie Dad and husband – despite being held with no Australian charges for 1,050 days today. It’s another constant stream of bills and additional hidden costs that most people don’t realise. Please if you can, help this family by donating: https://chuffed.org/project/109154-dan-duggan-extradition-legal-fund
This week, the Guardian wrote about the outrageous cost of phone calls in NSW correctional facilities, arguing that call costs risk isolating inmates from their families. Read the article here: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/sep/01/prion-phone-call-costs-made-it-hard-for-chris-to-stay-connected-to-his-family-advocates-say-they-should-be-free-ntwnfb#:~:text=In%20NSW%2C%20each%20inmate%20is,call%20from%2025c%20to%20%242.59.
Update
29 Aug 2025
Please help: Seized home break-in nightmare
Thieves have broken into the seized property owned by Saffrine Duggan causing major damage, both to the home but also to this already shaken family. Especially, to the youngest members of the Duggan family.
The US's DOJ with the help of the AFP, seized this property when Saffrine tried to sell it hoping to fund the Federal Court challenge. If you can, please help this family by donating to the fund, as it would be a huge weight off everyone's shoulders: https://freedanduggan.org/help-the-cause/
This latest blow to a family going through enough trauma as it is, has impacted the children significantly. The youngest is now scared and living in fear after learning about this recent break-in. The kids are being constantly dragged into this nightmare, which isn't it enough that they have to live without their father, their protector? Children should be allowed to have a childhood. This ordeal will stay with them for the rest of their lives.
The US Government seized control of the property but bills, security and upkeep is still Saffrine's responsibility. This on top of no legal aid, two sets of lawyers bills, living on one part time wage; when will this nightmare end?
Update
20 Aug 2025
Legal journalist Paul Gregoire reports that the Attorney-General's Department seems to have got it wrong with its claim that the AG does not have the power to protect the rights of Australian citizen and father of six #FreeDan Duggan and reverse flawed extradition decisions.
The story quotes international lawyer and Australian Defence Force veteran Glen Kolomeitz who says: "Now, the attorney general can step in at any time and stop the extradition request."
"The US charges against him just don't stack up. This case doesn't bode well for the protection of Australian sovereignty, or indeed, for our own citizens from US overreach."
But according to the recent letter from the AG's department, "the attorney general does not have the power to overturn the decision to surrender Mr Duggan to the United States to face prosecution for the offences for which he is accused".
Maybe they need to go check the law, and review Dan's case while they're at it.
The Duggans' future now hangs on the Federal Court's decision in two months' time. Please if you can help the Duggan's fund this appeal, donate here: https://freedanduggan.org/help-the-cause/
It is utterly un-Australian what this poor family has had to go through. The fact that Dan has been held in a maximum-security prison for 1033 days at the behest of a foreign government, with no Australian charges laid against him is disgusting.
Read Paul's full article here: https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/government-claims-attorney-general-cant-reverse-decision-to-extradite-dan-duggan/
Update
15 Aug 2025
Glenn Kolomeitz is an international lawyer, human rights advocate and veteran, who is helping the Duggan’s in their fight for justice.
Watch him speak about Dan recently here: https://youtu.be/5Mcx6NlAoYQ
He echoes the arguments the Duggan’s make about the fairness of Dan’s trial and also questions the protection of Australia’s sovereignty as well as its citizens because of this ridiculous case.
With the Federal Court challenge coming up in October, the need all the help they can get. Please, if you can, help this family by donating here: https://freedanduggan.org/help-the-cause/
Dan has been locked up for 1028 days now. How can this happen? No Australian charges have been laid; it wasn’t even considered a crime until well after Dan had fulfilled his employment. The case doesn’t stack up. We need the Attorney-General to look at the facts, not gaslight this poor family whose been through enough already.
Update
07 Aug 2025
The countdown is on to the Federal Court challenge. Today is 70 days. 70 days, the Duggan's lawyers have to build the best case they can for Dan to beat this ridiculous charge and bring him home to his loving wife and children, who all miss him beyond comprehension.
If you can help this family, please donate to help them in the Federal Court fight to have Dan released: https://freedanduggan.org/help-the-cause/
We also implore you to keep writing letters. So many have written to the Attorney-General and the PM, and they work. We recently received a letter back from the Attorney-General’s office which had been forwarded to them from the PM. Their letter, however, was disheartening as they flatly refuse to accept and acknowledge the office’s authority regarding extradition cases. Under Section 22 of the Extradition Act, it specifically states that the Attorney-General has the power to determine whether an extradition occurs. In the letter, they gaslight by claiming it is not on the Attorney-General to decide. As far as the Act goes, it is in the Attorney-General’s power to determine Dan’s fate.
This torturous ordeal has left the family emotionally and financially spent. They need to raise a substantial amount of money to pay for all the costs that keep piling up. Including two sets of lawyers’ fees-in Aus and the US, travel costs for the family to and from the jail, repairs and security equipment installed on the house that was confiscated by the US because of vandalism. All this whilst surviving on a single, part-time income.
It is time for Dan to come home. Enough is enough.
Update
25 Jul 2025
The Federal Court date for Dan’s extradition hearing has been changed to October.
As a result of this, the Duggans are hopeful that this gives Attorney-General Michelle Rowland enough time to finally look at the facts and have these ridiculous charges against Dan dropped.
The family is facing two huge sets of legal bills, with no legal aid and no ability to sell their property that has been seized by the DOJ, which they are fighting to get back. Please help support the family, in any way you can: https://freedanduggan.org/help-the-cause/
Paul Gregoire wrote another article which you can read in full here: https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/duggan-remains-imprisoned-without-charge-after-1000-days-to-satisfy-our-imperial-masters/
In the article, Paul points out the fact that as Dan was undertaking his employment at TFASA, the practice of ex-military pilots training foreign nationals was never an issue. Only now, as China is perceived as a threat to the west, has it become one. Australian intelligence was well aware that Australian pilots, specifically Dan, were involved in the practice and it wasn’t even a concern at the time.
He also raises the argument where extradition can only occur if it is in fact dual criminality. This means the charges the individual faces overseas must also appear in the country holding the individual as well, in order for the process to proceed. This law was only passed in Australia on 28 June 2018, long after the indictment was sealed.
There are so many flaws in this indictment case. 89 pages in fact of how this is absolute nonsense. We need a leader to stand up and finally shut it down once and for all and bring Dan home.
Update
18 Jul 2025
“Today, my husband, and Aussie citizen Dan Duggan has now been locked up in maximum security for 1,000 days - with no Australian charges, awaiting extradition to the United States,” - Saffrine Duggan.
Saffrine and family have appealed to the Prime Minister and Attorney-General to immediately release Dan, after 1000 days in maximum security prison over 13-year-old, politically motivated allegations that don’t stack up.
The Duggan’s legal team is fighting the extradition in the Federal Court, with a date set next month. Please, if you can, help the Duggans fight the extradition in court by donating to: https://chuffed.org/project/109154-dan-duggan-extradition-legal-fund
Saffrine said we often hear our politicians advocating for Australians locked up by a foreign government, but they had done nothing for her family.
She said she had written to the new Attorney-General Michelle Rowland asking her to examine the facts of this case but had seen no response.
“Why won’t our own government advocate for us, or at least take a good look at the facts?” Saffrine said.
Read more here: https://www.theleader.com.au/story/9019131/family-plead-for-alleged-china-pilot-trainers-freedom/
https://www.9news.com.au/national/family-of-imprisoned-pilot-daniel-duggan-makes-plea-for-his-release/f8580418-9276-41cc-be22-f47cbe14e848
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