Kneecap’s Mo Chara was released on unconditional bail at his first court appearance in London on terror charges tied to an incident where he allegedly displayed a Hezbollah flag at a concert.
The preliminary hearing at the Westminster Magistrates’ Court Wednesday June 18 was largely procedural. The Belfast rapper, real name Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, spoke only to confirm his name, and the judge scheduled his next court date for Aug. 20. If convicted, Ó hAnnaidh could face up to six months in prison, and a fine.
The terror charge is based on footage from a November 2024 concert in London, where Ó hAnnaidh allegedly displayed the Hezbollah flag and yelled, “Up, Hamas, up Hezbollah,” as well as, “The only good Tory is a dead Tory.” Both Hamas and Hezbollah are banned in the U.K., and it is a crime to publicly support them.
Ó hAnnaidh and Kneecap have repeatedly denied the allegations, stating previously that they “do not, and have never, supported Hamas or Hezbollah.” They’ve claimed footage of the November 2024 concert was “deliberately taken out of all context,” and suggested the terror charge is a reprisal for their outspoken support for Palestine, their calls for an end to the war in Gaza, and their criticism of the U.K. and U.S. governments for continuing to fund and supply arms to Israel.
At Wednesday’s hearing, prosecutor Michael Bisgrove insisted the case was not about Ó hAnnaidh’s support for Palestine or criticism of Israel, adding that he is “well within his rights to voice his opinions and solidarity, as is anybody else” (via The Associated Press). Rather, Bisgrove said the case is centered around the video of Ó hAnnaidh at the November 2024 concert.
Ó hAnnaidh’s lawyer, Brenda Campbell, countered that authorities charged the rapper outside the six-month statute of limitations for a terror offense. While the concert took place on Nov. 21, 2024, London Metropolitan police only became aware of the alleged incident in late April 2025, not long after Kneecap’s controversial set at Coachella, where they displayed messages about the war in Gaza. The charge was brought May 21, exactly six months after the London concert.
“If we are right in relation to that, then this court has no jurisdiction and there ends the case,” Campbell said of the timeline.
Ó hAnnaidh and his bandmates Móglaí Bap (Naoise Ó Cairealláin) and DJ Próvai (JJ O’Dochartaigh) all arrived at the London courthouse wearing Palestinian keffiyeh scarves. They were greeted by a crowd of supporters outside, many of whom were waving Palestinian and Irish flags.
On social media last night, Kneecap wrote, “British courts have long charged people from the North of Ireland with ‘terrorism’ for crimes never committed. We will fight them. We will win.”
