Kneecap rapper's terror case thrown out

Following a procedural mistake in the way the lawsuit was brought, the terrorism trial against Kneecap rapper Liam hAnnaidh was dismissed. He was charged in May after reportedly displaying a flag in support of banned group Hezbollah at a gig at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, London, in November 2024. The 27-year-old, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, has denied the charge and has denied it as political. Mr hAnnaidh's charge against him, according to Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring, was unlawful and "null.

Mr. HAnnaidh's defense had argued that the charge was not brought within the six-month time limit. The chief magistrate ordered that the consent to the trial was not given to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) until May 22th, a day after Mr hAnnaidh was arrested. The chief mAGistrate outlined the reasons for his decision:

I find that these proceedings were not launched in the correct manner, lacking the required DPP and AG (Attorney General) consent within the six-month statute time limit.

The police refused to notify the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in time to sue him. The court had no jurisdiction to hear the accusation, he said.

The court erupted into applause as the decision was delivered.

This lawsuit was every bit unjustified because it was flawed,

Jude Bunting KC told the court. As Mr hAnnaidh left the courthouse, his parents hugged him and said they were delighted that it was over.

'Always about Gaza'

This entire process was never about me, Mr hAnnaidh said outside the courthouse.

It was never about any threat to the public; it was never concerned about terrorism, never about jihad, a term used by your government to shame people you oppress.

It was always about Gaza, about what happens if you dare to speak out. "Your attempts to silence us have failed because we're correct and you're wrong.

'We have won'

Mógla Bap, a member of the band, told BBC News Northern Ireland that they are feeling great.We're happy this is over, we can talk about Palestine and stop worrying about Kneecap,he said.We have won,

Kneecap boss Daniel Lambert said in a social media post.

Liam Óg is a free man. We told them we would fight them and win. We did (Twice). Kneecap has NO charges OR convictions in ANY country, EVER.

Political policing has failed. Kneecap is on the right track of history. Britain is not.

Mike O'Neill, the First Minister of Ireland, applauded the decision.

These charges were part of a calculated effort to silence those who stand up and protest the Israeli genocide in Gaza,

she said on X. The CPS said it was

reviewing the court's decision very carefully. It pointed out that the decision could be appealed against.

We are aware of the court's decision in connection with this lawsuit,a Metropolitan Police spokesperson said.We'll work with the CPS to find the potential consequences of this decision for us and how it might influence future processing of such lawsuits.

Who are Kneecap?

Kneecap is an Irish-speaking rap band that has courted controversy over their provocative songs and merchandise. The group was founded in 2017 by three artists who go by the stage names of Mo Chara, Móglan Bap, and DJ Próva. Michael Fassbender, an Oscar-nominated actor, inspired their asemi-fictionalized film. In February 2025, the film received the British Academy of Film Award (Bafta). During their appearance at the US mUSic festival Coachella, the organization was chastised for releasing alerts about the war in Gaza during their set at Gaza. The organisation won its case against the UK government in November 2024 after Kemi Badenoch, a minister, withdrew an arts grant.