• Neil Christopher Prakash, 31, was arrested in Turkey in 2016 after entering into the country from Syria.
• He featured in IS recruiting films in which he asked Australians to “wake up” and join the organization.
• Federal police say they will allege he committed a range of serious terrorism offences.

An Islamic State fighter who featured significantly in the terrorist group’s recruiting propaganda will be charged with “major terror charges” after being extradited to Australia from Turkey, federal police said Friday.

Neil Christopher Prakash, 31, was arrested in Turkey in 2016 after entering into the country from Syria.

Prakash was sentenced in 2019 to seven years imprisonment by a Turkish court, which judged him guilty of belonging to a terrorist organization.

Friday morning, according to the Australian Federal Police, Prakash landed in Australia via plane.

“An investigation started in 2016 when the man was alleged to have travelled to Syria to fight with Islamic State,” it said in a statement.

“The AFP will allege in court that the man committed a range of serious terrorism offences.”

Authorities have estimated approximately 230 Australians travelled to Iraq and Syria to take up arms since 2012 — Prakash being one of the most famous cases.

He featured in IS recruiting films in which he asked Australians to “wake up” and join the organization.

Former conservative prime minister Malcolm Turnbull characterized Prakash as one of the “main funders or organizers” for the Islamic State in the Middle East.

Former Australian attorney-general George Brandis in 2016 alleged Prakash had been murdered in Iraq following a targeted US air strike.

Later, it was revealed that he was injured but not killed in the explosion.

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