Kneecap rapper Liam &Ocute;g &Ocute; hAnnaidh will not stand trial on a terrorism charge after the High Court upheld a ruling that the case against him was brought unlawfully.
The musician — known as Mo Chara — had been accused of displaying a Hezbollah flag during a London show in November 2024, but judges have now confirmed the prosecution cannot proceed.
The decision follows last year’s ruling by chief magistrate Paul Goldspring, who found that prosecutors failed to secure the Attorney General’s consent before informing &Ocute; hAnnaidh he would be charged — a step required by law. Permission was granted the following day, placing the charge outside the six-month limit for bringing summary offences. High Court judges Lord Justice Edis and Mr Justice Linden agreed the magistrate had no jurisdiction to hear the case, leaving the rapper neither tried nor acquitted.
Speaking through his legal team, &Ocute; hAnnaidh said the case had never been about public safety, arguing it was an attempt to silence his political views, particularly his vocal support for Palestine.
He said: “I owe eternal gratitude to my legal team, who left no stone unturned in ensuring justice was upheld. “This entire process was never about me, never about any threat to the public and never about ‘terrorism’, a word used by the British Government to discredit people you oppress both in Ireland and across the world.
“It was always about Palestine and about what happens if you dare to speak up. About what happens if you can reach large groups of people and expose their hypocrisy.
“I will not be silent. Kneecap will not be silent.”
At a press conference in Belfast, he said the band would continue to highlight the situation in Gaza despite losing gigs and facing restrictions during the proceedings. He also criticised the government for attempting to brand him a terrorist while, in his view, supporting violence abroad.
O hAnnaidh said: “This is bigger than us – whatever kind of stress that we felt, it’s minimal compared to the stress put on the families in Gaza.”
“We’ll continue to use whatever platform we have to talk about Gaza.”
He went on: “We said we would fight you in your court and we would win – we have, three times now. “Your own High Court has ruled against you. “The pathetic thing about this whole process is that you falsely tried to label me a terrorist, when it is the British government ministers that are arming and assisting a genocide in Gaza.”
The CPS said it accepted the judgment and would update its procedures following the court’s clarification on how written charges must be issued when Attorney General approval is required.
