Australia’s most wanted ISIS terrorist has been freed from a Turkish prison and will likely never be extradited to face trial in Australia.
Neil Prakash was apprehended in 2016 when he crossed the Syrian border into Turkey after fighting in Syria and Iraq, but walked free Thursday after nearly two years behind bars.
A judge ordered the 27-year-old’s release from Gaziantep H-Type Prison and rejected Australia’s application to have the self-confessed Islamic State member extradited.
Australia’s most wanted ISIS terrorist, Neil Prakash (pictured), has been freed from a Turkish prison and will likely never be extradited to face trial in Australia
He was apprehended in 2016 when he crossed the Syrian border into Turkey after fighting in Syria and Iraq , but walked free Thursday after nearly two years behind bars
The ruling, handed down by Judge Ismail Deniz, went against a prosecutor who said just 10 minutes earlier he would not object to Prakash being returned to Australia for trial.
At this stage it is unknown what kind of rights, if any, Australia has to appeal the decision.
Prakash had been held in the special prison with about 1,500 others, including terrorists, since his arrest almost two years ago.
He was accused of being part of a terrorist organisation involving recruiting, promoting and financing a terror group and urging attacks on foreign soil.
A judge ordered the 27-year-old’s release from Gaziantep H-Type Prison and rejected Australia’s application to have the self-confessed Islamic State member extradited
Prakash was held in Gaziantep H-Type Prison (pictured) since his arrest about two years ago
The Australian terrorist was living in the unit block behind prison walls along with 20 men with free reign of the kitchen, living room complete with a television and exercise yard, an observer told Daily Telegraph.
‘They have television. They receive food by the prison and they can make breakfast, lunch and dinner,’ they said.
‘The guards do not have guns inside the prison.
‘There’s a market inside the jail house … it’s a normal, standard market where you can buy mince meat or juice.’
At this stage it is unknown what kind of rights, if any, Australia has to appeal the decision
Despite the lenient luxury of the prison, Prakash reportedly has no money to even afford a bottle of water, no friends and only has the clothes on his back.
The Muslim convert became radicalised at a Melbourne bookshop and moved to Syria in 2013 after allegedly plotting foiled terrorist attacks in Sydney.
After three years fighting with the caliphate, Prakash paid a people smuggler to take himself – along with two women and three children – across to Turkey but because of an Australian tip off, the ISIS recruiter was arrested in October 2016.
‘He is a coward trying to keep a low profile,’ an observer told News Corp.
‘He’s pretending he’s not ISIS.’
Prakash is the most senior Australian member of ISIS to be captured alive after appearing in a number of Islamic State propaganda videos in which he encouraged other followers to launch deadly attacks.