Major development in case of ex-fighter pilot Daniel Duggan battling US extradition – with his fate now in the hands of Australia’s Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus

Australia’s attorney general will now decide whether an ex-US fighter pilot will be extradited to his home country for his alleged role in helping train China’s military, following a court ruling in Sydney.

Former top scorer Daniel Duggan, 55, can be returned to the US to stand trial, magistrate Daniel Reiss ruled at Sydney’s Downing Center Local Court on Friday.

Mr Duggan’s lawyer, Bret Walker SC, told the court his client had no legal defense and would not challenge the ruling. 9News items.

The former pilot spent 19 months in solitary confinement in a maximum security prison and is now awaiting extradition on a temporary extradition order.

His wife, Saffrine, was joined by their children and other supporters outside court to call for Mr Duggan’s immediate release.

Mr Duggan’s wife Saffrine and their children were joined by other supporters outside Downing Center Local Court on Friday calling for his release

Mrs Duggan said her home had been requisitioned by officials and her requests for legal aid had been rejected while her husband was preparing his defence.

“This deliberate torture must stop today,” Ms Duggan said outside court.

“They did everything they could to make things difficult for my family, to break Dan and break us, but we will fight no matter what.

“We respectfully ask the attorney general to take another look… and bring my husband home.”

Mr Duggan was arrested in Australia at the request of the US after being charged violating arms trade laws by providing military training to Chinese pilots.

Mr Duggan is said to have provided his services in South Africa from 2010 to 2012 and received $100,000 for this.

He has 15 days to apply for a review in the Federal Court, otherwise it will be up to Attorney General Mark Dreyfus to determine whether he should be extradited to the US.

When asked by Magistrate Reiss whether Friday’s hearing would be contested, Mr Walker told the court: “Not really, no.”

Mr. Reiss noted that the position taken by Duggan’s lawyers had “significantly streamlined the considerations.”

The magistrate reminded those present on Friday of contempt of court as one man compared the proceedings to a ‘kangaroo court’.

Mr Duggan’s family has argued that his allegations are fabricated politically motivated.

Mrs Duggan claims she has been rejected by Legal Aid and that the charges against her husband are fabricated and politically motivated

A petition with 25,000 signatures addressed to Attorney General Mark Dreyfus calls for an end to Duggan’s extradition

Lawyer Bernard Collaery asked for him to be held in Lithgow to be closer to his family.

Outside court, Mr Collaery described the court’s decision as an administrative step that would be followed by a lengthy submission to Mr Dreyfus.

“This was not an examination of the evidence, this was not a mini-trial on matters to be decided elsewhere,” he said.

In April, Mr Duggan tried unsuccessfully to delay the hearings after claiming he had spent $800,000 on legal bills.

While in prison, he wrote a letter stating that he had never broken the law, as the Australian Security Intelligence Organization and the US Naval Central Intelligence Service both knew what he was doing at the time.

More than 25,000 people have signed a petition calling on Mr Dreyfus to release Mr Duggan from prison and halt his extradition.

Greens senator David Shoebridge offered to introduce the petition in parliament.

Mr Shoebridge said the country needs to ‘show some courage’ and ‘Make it clear that being an Australian citizen matters.”

A spokesman for the attorney general said the government did not comment on extradition cases.