Terrorism’s accusation against Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh – better known with his stage name my friend from a part of Northern Irish Rap Trio Knee-cap – has been thrown out of the UK court over a technical error.
Chara was accused in May of allegedly showing a flag in support of the prescribed organization Hezbollah on a gig last year. The 27-year-old denied the accusation and has described it as political.
The musician-who also played as himself in last year’s BAFTA winning film “Kneecap” together with bandmates Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí-visited at Woolwich Crown Court on Friday.
“I find that these procedures were not set up in the correct form,” said Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring, noting that a “six -month statutory time limit” had not been fulfilled. “The time limit requires consent to have been granted at the time or before the issuance of the requisition. Consequently, the fee is illegal and zero and this court has no authority to review the accusation.”
At Chara’s former court on August 20, legal arguments were heard about the accusation was held within the six -month time limit.
The case was achieved earlier this year after Metropolitan Police studied video films from the November concert in London’s O2 Kentish Town after statements Kneecap made during their set of Coachella. While they were on stage, they condemned what they described as Israel’s “genocide of the Palestinian people” and showed a message that read “Fuck Israel. Free Palestine.”
Shortly after Chara’s first court in June, Kneecap played one Packed set at GlastonburyAs the BBC chose not to stream live because of the group’s growing controversy in the UK during the show, Kneecap led songs by “Fuck Keir Starmer” and talked about the charges against Chara. “Mo Chara was in the courts, Westminster Courts this month,” said member Móglaí Bap by his bandmate. “This is not the first time it was a miscarriage of justice for an Irish person in the British legal system.”
Kneecap, who has long been supporters of Palestinian rights and has consistently used its platform to comment on Israel’s ongoing attack on Gaza since Hama’s terrorist attack of October 7, 2023, has described the accusation as a “distraction from war crimes as British state aid.”
In a response to police charges, Kneecap claimed earlier this year that they “do not, and have never supported Hamas or Hezbollah” and that alleged pictures from the London concert had “deliberately taken out of all context” as part of a “coordinated butter campaign” over their criticism of Israel.
After the Coachella play in February, Sharon Osbourne led Kneecap’s US visa to be recalled for what she called “Hatprat.” Kneecap responded by saying: “Statements are not aggressive and murder 20,000 children are.”
