Court Dismisses Terrorism Charge Against Kneecap Rapper

On Sept. 26 at Woolwich Crown Court Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring dismissed a terrorism charge against Kneecap rapper Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh (Mo Chara), ruling the prosecution unlawful because it fell outside the six‑month statutory time limit and lacked required DPP/Attorney‑General consent. The charge, stemming from an allegation he displayed a Hezbollah flag at an O2 Forum show in Kentish Town in November 2024, had been brought in May 2025; Ó hAnnaidh denied supporting Hezbollah and said the case was about speaking out for Gaza rather than posing a threat to the public. Goldspring emphasized the decision concerned jurisdiction and was not a determination of innocence or guilt, and supporters cheered as Ó hAnnaidh was released. Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O'Neill and the band called the outcome a victory against political policing, while the Metropolitan Police and prosecutors said they would consider the ruling’s implications and work with the Crown Prosecution Service on next steps. The case has spurred cancellations, travel bans and other controversies — including cancelled U.S. dates, travel restrictions in Canada and Hungary and a separate Glastonbury inquiry that resulted in no further action — underscoring tensions over protest, free expression and the application of terrorism laws to political art.