UK prosecutors seek to reinstate ‘terrorism’ charge against Kneecap rapper

Irish set slams propulsion to reinstate complaint against rapper Liam O’Hanna arsenic ‘waste of nationalist clip and nationalist money’.

British prosecutors person sought to reinstate a “terrorism” complaint against a subordinate of Irish rap radical Kneecap for allegedly displaying a emblem of Lebanese radical Hezbollah during a gig successful London, aft a justice threw retired the case past year.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) launched a High Court situation connected Wednesday, arguing that a main magistrate erred successful September erstwhile helium dismissed the lawsuit against Liam O’Hanna, besides known arsenic Liam Og O hAnnaidh successful Irish, implicit a method error.

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O’Hanna, who performs nether the sanction Mo Chara, was charged with displaying the emblem astatine a November 21, 2024, performance successful London, breaching the United Kingdom’s 2000 Terrorism Act.

In written submissions unveiled successful court, the CPS “submits that the Learned justice was incorrect to find that the proceedings … were not instituted successful the close form”.

Kneecap – known for their politically charged lyrics and enactment for Palestinian rights – person said the lawsuit is an effort to distract from what they described arsenic British complicity successful Israel’s genocide against Palestinians successful the Gaza Strip.

The set has called the attempted prosecution of O’Hanna a “British authorities witch-hunt”.

“Today much Palestinians were murdered by Israel,” Kneecap wrote successful a societal media post connected Wednesday aft the tribunal hearing.

“More homes demolished and much children dormant owed to acold and deficiency of assistance not permitted to participate by Israel. That is the ONLY happening astir this full witch-hunt worthy talking about,” the set said, denouncing the ineligible proceedings arsenic “a discarded of nationalist clip and nationalist money”.

Kneecap supporters rally successful defence of O’Hanna connected January 14, 2026 [AFP]

O’Hanna was charged successful May aft a video emerged from the London performance successful which helium allegedly displayed the Hezbollah flag, an offence helium has denied.

Kneecap antecedently said the emblem was thrown connected signifier during their show and that they “do not, and person never” supported Hezbollah.

The complaint against O’Hanna was thrown retired successful September aft a tribunal ruled it had primitively been brought without the support of the manager of nationalist prosecutions and the lawyer general, arsenic good arsenic 1 time extracurricular the six-month statutory limit.

But CPS lawyer Paul Jarvis told London’s High Court connected Wednesday that support was lone required by the clip O’Hanna archetypal appeared successful court, meaning the lawsuit tin proceed.

O’Hanna did not be the hearing.

But his bandmate, JJ O Dochartaigh, amended known by the signifier sanction DJ Provai, was successful tribunal alongside the band’s manager, Dan Lambert, and its lawyers.

About 100 Kneecap supporters besides turned up astatine the tribunal to amusement their support, holding Irish and Palestinian flags, singing songs and listening to speeches.

Kneecap has promised to “win again”, arguing successful ineligible filings that September’s tribunal determination to propulsion retired the complaint “was plainly correct”.