Neil Prakash

Neil Christopher Prakash (born 7 May 1991), known as Abu Khaled al-Cambodi (Arabic: أبو خالد الكمبودي‎), was a member of the Islamic State group, whose Australian citizenship was revoked in December 2018. In April 2016 four civilians were killed in a United States air-strike targeting Prakash. In May 2016 he was reported to have been killed, but was only wounded and escaped. In November 2016, Prakash was captured in Turkey.

In March 2019, Prakash was convicted in a Turkish court of membership in a terrorist organisation and sentenced to seven and a half years in prison, reduced to six years on appeal.

History

He was born in Melbourne, Australia to an Indo-Fijian father and a Cambodian mother from the south-east suburb of Springvale South.[1]

Prakash converted from Buddhism to Islam in August 2012 after a visit to Cambodia, when he was repulsed by what he viewed as Buddhism's commercialism and idolatry. He attended meetings at Al-Furqan bookstore and prayer centre in Melbourne.[2]

On 29 December 2018, the Australian government announced it had revoked Prakash's Australian citizenship due to his links to terrorism.[3] Although Australia maintains that he retains Fijian citizenship despite being born in Melbourne, in 2019, the Fijian government refused to allow him to go there, insisting he was not and had never been a Fijian citizen.[4] Peter Dutton did not consult with Fiji or an expert in Fijian law before making the decision to revoke Prakash's Australian citizenship, and Fiji does not allow dual citizenship.[5]

Islamic State

He traveled to Syria via Malaysia in 2013, arriving in the city of Raqqa.

Arrest warrant

His passport was cancelled October 2014. On 19 August 2015, police obtained a warrant for his arrest. He was accused of being a member of a terrorist organisation and of incursions into a foreign state with the intention of engaging in hostile activities.[6]

IS media appearances

Prakash appeared in a video released 21 April 2015 titled "Stories From the Land of the Living: Abū Khālid al-Kambūdī" produced by al-Hayat Media Center.[7]

Reports of death

On 5 May 2016, Attorney-General for Australia George Brandis said US officials had confirmed Prakash was killed in Mosul,[8] but later news reports said police and intelligence agencies believed he might still be alive.[9] It was later discovered that Prakash had been wounded in a strike, and then escaped to Syria.[10]

Then on 29 July 2016, the United States Central Command said four civilians had been killed in a strike targeting Prakash on 29 April 2016.[11]

Capture

In November 2016, Prakash was captured in Turkey after he tried to cross the Syrian border into Turkey using false documents and a fake name.[10] On 25 November 2016, Australian counter-terrorism officials confirmed that Prakash was still alive and had been arrested several weeks previously by Turkish officials in Turkey.[12] Australia has applied for his extradition on a Federal Police warrant for:

... being a member of ISIS, recruitment of others and being involved in the plotting to "massacre" crowds and behead police at an Anzac Day commemoration in Melbourne in 2015.[13][14]

In May 2017, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced that Prakash was expected to be extradited from Turkey in months to stand trial in Australia.[10]

In December 2018, Prakash was waiting on trial in Turkey on terrorism charges. He will not be returned to Australia until his current legal proceedings, and any jail term, are finished.[15][16][17]

Conviction

On 16 March 2019, Prakash was convicted in a Turkish court of membership in a terrorist organisation and sentenced to seven and a half years in prison,[18] later reduced to six years on appeal with a release date sometime in 2021.

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References
  1. Calligeros, Marissa (23 April 2015). "From Buddhist to jihadist: Melbourne man Neil Prakash's journey to Islamic State". Theage.com.au. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  2. "Neil Prakash Dead to Family Long before Mosul Strike". The Australian. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  3. Tlozek, Eric (29 December 2018). "Neil Prakash, Islamic State terrorist, stripped of Australian citizenship". ABC News. abc.net.au. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  4. Davidson, Helen (3 January 2019). "Dutton Insists Neil Prakash Is Fijian Citizen, but Fiji PM Says He 'Cannot Come Here'". The Guardian. Guardian News & Media Limited. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  5. Karp, Paul (30 January 2019). "Peter Dutton revoked Neil Prakash's Australian citizenship without consulting Fiji". The Guardian. Guardian News & Media Limited. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  6. "Warrant Issued for Islamic State Recruiter Neil Prakash". Heraldsun.com.au. Retrieved 2016-07-29.
  7. "al-Ḥayāt Media Center presents a new video message from The Islamic State: "Stories From the Land of the Living: Abū Khālid al-Kambūdī"". Jihadology.net. 21 April 2015. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
  8. "Australian IS recruiter Neil Prakash 'killed in Iraq'". BBC News. Retrieved 2016-07-29.
  9. "ISIS recruiter Neil Prakash may be alive". News.com.au. 2016-06-27. Retrieved 2016-07-29.
  10. Ross, Monique (12 May 2017). "IS recruiter Neil Prakash to be extradited 'within months'". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
  11. "At Least 14 Civilians Killed in US Airstrikes in Iraq, Syria: Centcom". military.com. 2016-07-28. Retrieved 2016-11-25.
  12. "Islamic State: Australian fighter Neil Prakash alive, arrested in Middle East, counter-terrorism officials confirm". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 25 November 2016. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
  13. "Aussie IS recruiter caught in Turkey". NewsComAu. News Limited. 26 November 2016. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  14. Keany, Francis; Ockenden, Will (26 November 2016). "Australia to push for extradition of Islamic State recruiter". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 29 September 2017.
  15. Brown, Matt (29 September 2017). "Neil Prakash admits to Australian terror link in Turkish court appearance". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 29 September 2017.
  16. Whinnett, Ellen. "Neil Prakash faces trial for a terrorism in Turkey". Heraldsun.com.au. News Corp Australia Network. Retrieved 29 September 2017.
  17. "Australia's most wanted ISIS terrorist is imprisoned in Turkey". Almasdarnews.com. 24 May 2018. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
  18. Tlozek, Eric (16 March 2019). "Australian Islamic State recruiter Neil Prakash sentenced to jail in Turkey". ABC News. Abc.net.au. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
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