Introduction
In a much-awaited legal development that has been in the headlines globally, a London court has dropped a terrorism charge on Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, one of the members of the Irish language rap group Kneecap. This ruling on September 26, 2025, was crucial for the now politically charged defenders of artistic emphasis band. This Kneecap rapper on machette, is not the charge that is in question, but the charge was dismissed on a purely procedural basis due to how the prosecutors filed to formalize the charges.
The charges stemmed from a controversial incident that occurred during a concert in London in November 2024, during which Ó hAnnaidh was accused of showing a flag belonging to a banned group in the UK, which is Hezbollah. The dismissal of the charge is a Winning Blow now for the controversial legal trio. This has led to renewed discussions about the freedom of art and the role of music in politics. This particular case shows how hard a legal system can be, and it has been relished by the band as a proof to their point.
The Court’s Ruling: A Case Dismissed on Procedural Grounds
The pivotal moment in this case occured at the Woolwich Crown Court when Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring said the charges against the Kneecap member were “unlawfully instituted” and were “null” . This decision in the case stems from a prosecutorial oversight involving the case breaching a process: Getting DDP and AG approval within the prosecution’s statutory time frame of six months.
Magistrate Goldspring said during the case, “It follows that these DPP and AG consents which were never given are referred to in the foregoing and are the consents the absence of which in the case of the prosecution reaches six months, . . . in which they within the six months consents not time given are not within six months, that they are not within control—.” He said that, “not any of them grants consent approval, that the time limit of each of them consent is to the requisition to each of them at the period even before the requisition amount to the period to each of them that it is less than adequate to . . .” “No jurisdiction to try the charge”.
These failures in prosecution meant there was no charge to dismiss, which is why the charge was dismissed. There are news reports that the audience in the court started to clap when the decision was made.
Court Cases and the Band’s Side
One of the charges that was later dismissed was brought against the Kneecap rapper on the basis of an incident that took place at the O2 Forum back in 2024. It purported that the rapper’s display of the flag was supportive of the group Hezbollah. Among other things, the possession of a Hezbollah flag is tantamount to an act of extremism and supporting terrorism in the UK, the charges he is currently facing do not seem plausible.
It is common knowledge in the UK that the band member Kneecap is more than willing to collaborate with terrorism. There is enough evidence to conclude that the case against him and the other band mates is the dominating factor in deciding the law. It is on record that the band Kneecap is not proponents of the put Hezbollah Yes and Hamas as they are also against violence. There is no question that in the UK, the display of the flag is an act of extremism. Hence, the assumption that this band is under legal sanction is not an absurd one.
Kneecap: A Group With Success and Controversy
There is no doubt that Kneecap is a group that has always embraced controversy. Their Irish-language rap group that formed in 2017 and is based in West Belfast, has, until this day, never shied from controversy. The group is made up of 3 performers: Mo Chara (Liam Og O hAnnaidh), Mòglaí Bap, and DJ Próvaí. While their music has been classified as Irish punk rap, it is a mix of both Irish and English languages that often focuses and issues pertaining to Irish republican socialism.
One of Kneecap’s highlights was the release of a film semi-fictionalized based on the group, Kneecap, featuring Michael Fassbender, which won and was nominated for a BAFTA in 2025. The group has more than 1.4 million listeners on Spotify and recently completed a sold-out show in London for 12,500 which has contributed to their rapidly accumulating wealth. This is a group that has made a name for itself, and they continue doing so despite provocative lyrics and merchandise.
Their unmuted views on politics, especially during performances when they speak about Palestine, have put them on the spotlight for trouble. Recently the doom spiral began when the band was performing during the Coachella festival in California and projected mensagens during their set which quite a lot of people didn’t appreciate, amoung those the sponsors of their U.S visas. This along with the cancelling of their tour in the U.S. was the reason why they lost the sponsors. On a side note, Kneecap have been denied entrance into Hungary and Canada ever since Canadian officials accused the band of
“amplifying political violence”. In response Kneecap said they will sue the officials and call the claims “utterly false and vitriolic.”
Political Reactions and Broader implications
Hearing the reaction of people about the claim was quite dismissive and many people feel that was the reason why the whole thing is being highly political. The manager for Kneecap, Daniel Lambert, put up a victory celebration saying “We have won. Liam Óg is a free man…” and adding towards the end “Political policing has failed. Kneecap is on the right side of history. Britain is not.”
“I stand with those fighting for justice for the Palestinian people,” said First Minister Michelle O’Neill as she praised the kneecap’s efforts to combat the “genocide” being committed by Israel in Gaza.
“There are other examples of the legal harassment of Kneecap as a single case of the “political” persecution of Kneecap.” said Derek O’Connor as he pointed out the case still ongoing from July 2025. Then there was the UK’s governement on which from them was won in November 2024. The band was defamed by pointed fingers from UK leader in unsanctioned arts sponsorship.
This series of events like these show the ongoing resistance from Kneecap towards the listened figureheads of the government has created an interesting perception for the band. Most believe them to be a band with leftist ideologies to stand against the authority for the people.
Conclusion: A Blessing for Kneecap & An Ongoing Inquiry
Kneecap’s Mo Chara not guilty of terrorism charges is a huge win for the group, and with that win, comes the release of a possible felony conviction. Chara being cleared of the charges emphasizes the importance of due process and the legal system. It serves as a testimony that the prosecution’s efforts were aimed at political and artistic censorship. The prosecution’s attempts were indeed overboard.
The prosecution’s inflammatory artistic expression, support for banned organizations, and politically charged music all still go unresolved and unchanged. The lack of concrete ruling on the case suspends all the relevant matters on the artistic edge of expression. It is the reviewing of the case that implies the legal issues concerning Kneecap are not yet settled. Kneecap is still being pursued by the prosecution.
The legal triumph is not the only ad upon the thriving practice of Kneecap. It has was and still is meant to bring audience to their commentary. The impactful commentary is what has shed light upon as a ‘brutal.’ The perception of it is indeed misplaced. The certainty remains toward the lack of ending conversations concern their music, politics and Kneecap. The clear thing which comes in the center is the lack of conviction to any country.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/09/26/uk/kneecap-mo-chara-terrorism-charge-dismissed-intl-scli
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