A London court tossed out the terror case against Kneecap’s Mo Chara, with a judge ruling that the charge against the Belfast rapper was not properly filed.
The rapper Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh was accused of displaying a Hezbollah flag on stage at a November 2024 Kneecap concert in London. But the London Metropolitan Police weren’t made aware of the alleged incident until April 2025, after Kneecap sparked controversy for their criticism of Israel and the war in Gaza during their set at Coachella. Ó hAnnaidh was then charged in May.
Over the summer, Ó hAnnaidh’s lawyers filed to have the case dismissed on technical grounds, saying the charge was brought one day after the six-month limit for such charges expired. While prosecutors countered that the charge was brought in time, Judge Paul Goldspring ultimately sided with the defense.
Judge Goldspring noted that his ruling was not about Ó hAnnaidh’s “innocence or guilt,” only whether the court “has jurisdiction to hear the case.” In that regard, he wrote, “[T] charge is unlawful and null.”
The debate hinged on the particulars of how and when a charge is brought under the U.K.’s Terrorism Act. Ó hAnnaidh received notice of the charge on May 21, but his lawyers said that didn’t count as an official charge because the Attorney General hadn’t given prosecutors permission to bring the case yet. They claimed the charge was officially filed the following day, May 22, one day after the six-month limit expired.
While the Crown Prosecution Service argued that the May 21 charge was valid because they didn’t need the AG’s permission, Judge Goldspring found that the “proceedings were not instituted in the correct form, lacking the necessary DPP and AG consent, within the 6-month statutory time limit.”
According to the BBC, those gathered in the court applauded the ruling once it was handed down. Ó hAnnaidh’s lawyer, Jude Bunting KC, told the court, “This case was every bit unjustified as it was flawed.”
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Ó hAnnaidh addressed reporters and supporters gathered outside the court, saying, “This entire process was never about me. It was never about any threat to the public; it was never about terrorism — a word used by your government to discredit people you oppress. It was always about Gaza, about what happens if you dare to speak up. Your attempts to silence us have failed because we’re right and you’re wrong.”
The CPS said in a statement that it was “reviewing the decision of the court carefully,” and noted that it could be appealed. A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said, We are aware of the decision by the court in relation to this case. We will work with the CPS to understand the potential implications of this ruling for us and how that might impact on the processing of such cases in the future.”
From Rolling Stone US
