Terror case faced by Kneecap rapper Mo Chara thrown out
The charges against Chara were thrown out at Woolwich Crown Court this morning.
By Nick Reilly
The terrorism charge against Kneecap rapper Mo Chara has been dropped after police and prosecutors failed to get the consent of the Attorney General Lord Hermer within the correct time frame.
The rapper, real name Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, was accused of displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah at a gig in London in November last year.
But the charge of allegedly supporting a proscribed terror group was thrown out at Woolwich Crown Court this morning (September 26) because the Attorney General was a day late in permitting the prosecution to go ahead.
The Attorney General is needed to approve charges in terror cases related to other countries. In Ó hAnnaidh’s case, Hezbollah is based in Lebanon.
It transpired that the police only charged Ó hAnnaidh on the day the deadline had elapsed after being given the backing of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). When they sought the Attorney General’s consent, it was outside the six-month time limit that had elapsed since the alleged offence.
Paul Goldspring, the chief magistrate, said in his judgement: “These proceedings were instituted unlawfully and are null.”
Ó hAnnaidh’s legal team previously argued that permission had not been sought from the Attorney General when the rapper was first charged on May 21 this year.
Concluding his reasoning, Mr Goldspring added: “I find that these proceedings were not instituted in the correct form, lacking the necessary DPP and AG consent within the six-month statutory time limit set by section 127.
“The time limit requires consent to have been granted at the time or before the issue of the requisition. Consequently, the charge is unlawful and null and this court has no jurisdiction to try the charge.”
A CPS spokesman told The Telegraph: “We are reviewing the decision of the court carefully.”
A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “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.”
Daniel Lambert, the band’s manager, wrote on X: “We have won!!!!!! Liam Og is a free man. We said 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 side of history. Britain is not. Free Palestine.”
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.”