A decision on the terrorism case brought against Kneecap’s Mo Chara has been adjourned until September.
The Irish rapper faces criminal proceedings after being accused of displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah during a gig at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, London, last year. The Lebanese political party and militant group is proscribed as a terror organisation by the UK Government, meaning demonstrations of support for them is illegal.
Mo Chara, real name Liam Óg O hAnnaidh, has denied the charges, pointing to a politically motivated attempt at “
distraction” from Israel’s genocide in Gaza and accusing Downing Street and the US of being complicit in the devastation. In June, they supported an artist-led film about the conflict titled
Stop The Genocide.
In a hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 20th August, the defence asked for the case to be thrown out due to a technical error. According to Brenda Campbell KC, the Attorney General did not give permission for the case to be brought against Chara when police first informed him of terror charges on 21st May 2025.
Michael Bisgrove, acting for the prosecution, contested this by claiming the process was not required until the first court appearance. It’s now up to Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring to deliver a verdict by next month.
Unconditional bail was extended and the case adjourned until September.
Large crowds gathered outside the courtroom during the hearing, with many chanting “Free Mo Chara” and waving Palestinian flags and pro-Palestine placards as the defendant left the court. One man was arrested at the scene over his apparent support for Palestine Action, the recently proscribed activist group at the centre of controversial mass arrests at a Westminster Palace protest earlier this month in which 522 people were detained. This brings the total number of individuals locked up under suspicion of breaking terrorism laws in this way to 700 since July. Earlier this month, Massive Attack called out the actions of Britain’s
“ugly, unrecognisable government” following the arrests.
Last week, a letter was sent to the Attorney General for England and Wales, Richard Hermer KC, by organisations including Greenpeace, Human Rights Watch, Global Witness, Friends of the Earth and the Quakers, demanding prosecutions are paused until after a legal challenge to the ban on Palestine Action has been heard. This is due to take place in November.
In the past 24 hours, Gaza’s Health Ministry recorded two deaths
“due to famine and malnutrition”. Overall, 271 people are now believed to have died from starvation in Gaza amid Israel’s ongoing assault and blockade of aid entering the enclave. 112 of these were children.
Earlier today, the UN warned of “massive death and destruction” if Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu proceeds with plans to expand and intensify the military operation which has led to more than 60,000 Palestinian deaths since it began on 7th October 2023.
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