‘He has nothing’: Inside Aussie terrorist Neil Prakash’s prison reality

EXCLUSIVE: Nothing but the clothes on his back. No money. And no visitors, ever. Former cellmates of Neil Prakash have spoken out about what life behind bars is really like for the Islamic State recruiter.

EXCLUSIVE

THE two men who shared a jail cell with Australian terrorist Neil Prakash believe the 27-year-old no longer holds extremist views.

His former cellmates accepted that while he had wished to harm Australia “he wasn’t like that any more”.

And while he had received no visitors — the one message giving him hope was that he had been told his mother still loved him despite allegations he had been instrumental in Islamic State’s online recruitment, and to have been involved in the foiled plots to bomb targets on Anzac Day commemoration services in Sydney in 2015 and 2016.

Neil Prakash’s former cellmates have spoken out. Picture: Supplied

News Corp spoke exclusively to the two former Islamic State members who shared a cell with Prakash and 20 other foreign fighters in the H-Type Prison in Gaziantep, a bustling city of two million people about 60km from the Syrian border where Prakash was caught trying to sneak into Turkey in 2016.

They also revealed Australia’s most wanted terrorist is penniless and only owns the clothes on his back.

The men, who both speak some English, said Prakash was isolated and alone with no one on the outside to support him or send him money.

‘Not one cent’. Neil Prakash as seen in an Islamic State propaganda video.

The two men, who were deported to their European homeland after serving more than a year in jail, said Prakash could not afford basics such as washing powder, or bottled

water.

“The guy has nothing. I was with him in the room. He has nothing,’’ one of the men said.

“He doesn’t have one cent. No one from outside is looking out for him.’’

The men, who are supported by their families, shared some of their supplies with Prakash, including shampoo.

They said he did not have a change of clothes.

Kilis Criminal Court in Kilis, Turkey. Picture: Supplied

News Corp has observed that Prakash, who is fighting extradition to Australia, has worn the same round-neck black jumper for his last three court appearances.

They said a consular official had passed on a message from his mother, they told him: “your mother loves you and she misses you’’.

His mother, a Cambodian woman, raised Prakash in Melbourne after his Fijian-Indian father walked out on the family when he was a child, but she suffers from serious mental illness.

Gaziantep H-Type Prison where Neil Prakash has been detained since October 24, 2016. Picture: Supplied

Prakash did not say much to his cellmates, and never discussed his family or the two wives and three children he claims to have.

The Australian, an Islamic convert who became radicalised at the Al-Furqan bookshop in suburban Melbourne and moved to Syria in 2013, became a prolific recruiter and took part in propaganda videos for Islamic State, as well as using multiple social media accounts to urge followers to launch attacks, including in Australia.

While Australia is seeking to extradite him on foreign fighter charges, Turkey has now said it is investigating him for potential crimes against the state — which would carry a hefty jail term, if he was convicted.

The Syrian border area where Neil Prakash was arrested in 2016. Picture: Supplied

His former cellmates accepted that he had wished to harm Australia, but said he was a “not a bad person. He is not a bad guy.’’

“He’s not like that as far as I know,’’ one of the men said.

The other described him as “a guy who has manners. He helps you out. And he can’t even help himself.

“He has no lawyer. He’s inside the prison.’’

The same man said Prakash did not hold extremist views any longer.

“I can guarantee, he’s not like that,’’ he said.

“He’s not wanting to harm Australia like he did before. I know. I have seen it (those thoughts). I know.’’

Prakash has had at least three visits from Australian consular officials, who are offering him the basic assistance provided to all citizens detained overseas.

Officials have also attended his court appearances on several occasions.