Melbourne-born Neil Prakash, who is accused of travelling to Syria to fight with Islamic State, has faced a Darwin court over terrorism charges.

December 2, 2022

Accused Islamic State jihadist Neil Prakash – once considered Australia’s most wanted terrorist – has declined to answer questions while facing a Darwin court over charges which may see him jailed for life.

The Melbourne-born former rapper is facing six terrorism charges after he allegedly joined and supported Islamic State from 2014 to 2016.

The 31-year-old is also accused of hostile activity in the Torres Strait and travelling to Al-Rafa province in Syria, where he also engaged in hostile acts.

Prakash could face a life sentence if found guilty.

Northern Territory Local Court Chief Judge Elizabeth Morris granted an extradition order to transfer Prakash from the NT to Victoria on or before December 9.

He will remain in custody in Darwin until AFP and Victorian Police officers jointly take him into custody and escort him to Melbourne.

Once there, he is expected to be charged by the Australian Federal Police Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team with a range of serious terrorism offences.

Prakash, who appeared via video link from the Palmerston watch house due to security concerns, remained handcuffed throughout the hearing.

Dressed in a white t-shirt and bearded, he sat with his head down for most of the proceedings that were punctuated with technical difficulties.

Prakash declined legal representation and remained silent when Judge Morris asked him to confirm his identity.

He also did not respond when asked if he had any questions about the extradition order or wanted to apply for bail.

Prakash was formally identified by Victorian Detective Senior Constable Andrew Gibney, who told the court Parkash had distinct scars and a tattoo of a family member’s name on his chest.

He also said Australian Border Force confirmed his identity using passport photos taken before he left Australia.

Prakash was flown to the NT on a charter flight on Friday morning after being arrested and held in immigration detention in Turkey.

In 2016, he was wrongly thought to have been killed in a US military strike in the Iraqi city of Mosul.

However, later the same year, Australian officials confirmed he was still alive and had been arrested in Turkey.

Former home affairs minister Peter Dutton revoked Prakash’s citizenship in 2018 over his alleged ISIS participation and on the grounds he was Fijian.

Fijian immigration officials insisted Prakash, born to a Fijian father and a Cambodian mother, had never held nor sought citizenship and refused to take him into the country.

Prakash rose to prominence over his alleged links to several terror plots in Australia and his use of social media to lure potential recruits to ISIS.

He was also listed in ISIS documents as one of the group’s top recruiters.