Kneecap Rapper's Terrorism Case Dismissed. Image credit: Getty Images.
(The Post News) – The court has rejected the terrorist allegation against Kneecap artist Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh due to an irregularity in the way the prosecution presented the evidence.
In May, law enforcement accused Ó hAnnaidh of performing the show at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, London, in November 2024 while holding a Hezbollah flag, which is associated with a prohibited organization. The 27-year-old performer, who goes by Mo Chara, refuted the accusation and described it as motivated by politics.
Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring of Woolwich Crown Court declared the accusations unconstitutional and “null” due to the prosecutors’ disregard for the correct legal process. The prosecutor’s office failed to bring the matter forward within the legally mandated six-month period, according to Ó hAnnaidh’s legal team.
The court learned that on May 22, a single day after prosecutors officially charged Ó hAnnaidh, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) failed to obtain the necessary approval to continue. According to the statute of limitations, the charge was deemed void because it was filed within six months and a day after the alleged crime was committed.
Without the appropriate DPP and general attorney approval during the six-month mandatory time limit,” Chief Magistrate Goldspring stated in an explanation of his decision. The court, he continued, having “no authority to try the allegation.”
As the judge handed down the decision, the courtroom erupted in applause. Jude Bunting KC, Ó hAnnaidh’s attorney, said that the accusation was “every bit as unreasonable as it was misguided.”
His parents hugged him as he exited the venue, expressing their excitement that the legal proceeding concluded.
About the Author
