An accused Australian jihadist has refused to respond to a judge as he ordered the former rapper to stand trial for terrorist offences.
Neil Christopher Prakash, once branded Australia’s most wanted suspected terrorist, appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates Court via video link on Thursday.
Wearing a black long-sleeved shirt, Prakash sat silently in the prison room and stared straight ahead as Magistrate Rohan Lawrence spoke.
“Mr. Prakash, can you see and hear me?” asked the magistrate.
The suspect did not respond, despite having previously done so with his lawyers.
The accused terror recruiter also failed to respond when the magistrate asked him to enter a guilty or not guilty plea to the terrorism-related crimes, which include engaging in hostile activities in a foreign state, membership of a terrorist organization and advocating terrorism.
“I noticed that you have not responded and therefore I have entered a plea of not guilty,” the magistrate said.
“On the six charges, I am confident that a jury can convict you on these six charges,” he said.
The accused terror recruiter did not respond when the magistrate asked him to enter a guilty or not guilty plea
Prakash was sentenced to seven years in prison before being deported back to Australia in December 2022
The court heard that Prakash ‘no longer held the violent extremist views he used to hold’
Mr Lawrence has expressed his decision to commit Prakash to stand trial before a High Court jury, after four days of evidence from former friends and counter-terrorism police.
Prakash left Melbourne and traveled to Syria in 2013 to join Islamic State before being captured by Turkish authorities when he fled across the border in 2016.
Prakash was convicted by a Turkish court in 2019 on charges of membership of a terrorist organization.
Investigators have yet to determine whether there is an equivalent charge under Australian law.
He was sentenced to seven years in prison before being deported back to Australia in December 2022.
Earlier on Thursday, the court concluded hearing evidence from Detective Dennis Scott, the joint case manager of the Australian Federal Police’s counter-terrorism team.
Lawyer Liz Morgan asked Det Scott about the evolution of Prakash’s beliefs following his deportation to Australia in 2022.
Det Scott told the court that while he has observed changes in Prakash’s hardline views, he remains steadfast about not recognizing the criminal justice system.
Det Scott said he genuinely believes Prakash has “moderated his views” after he and his team spent time talking to the alleged terrorist.
“From the conversations I had with Prakash and the time we spent (together), he expressed that he no longer had the violent extremist views he used to have,” he said.
“He’s still conservative on Islam, but he can still make an argument.”
Det Scott told the court it was highly likely that Prakash would have expressed this change to others via private messages after arriving in Syria and realizing the fighting.
“For those traveling to conflict areas, when they arrive and understand that the reality is very different, that can be a trigger that changes their views,” Det Scott said.
“Anyone in that conflict zone who holds views contrary to those of IS would be putting themselves in grave danger.”
The detective indicated that Prakash expressed the danger that other jihadists in Australian prisons would find out that he was deviating from his firm beliefs.
“For someone who previously held these views and changed their ways, they would no longer be considered true Muslims by those who continue to hold the same views,” he said.
Prakash could face charges against him as the defense seeks to invoke a legal concept known as double jeopardy, in which a court is unable to try a person on a charge previously tried in another jurisdiction .
Prakash will appear before the Supreme Court on June 3.