TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A member of Irish rap group Kneecap has appeared in a London court, UK, on charges of “terrorism” offences, as hundreds of his supporters gathered outside the building.
Liam O’Hanna, who performs under the name Mo Chara, entered Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday morning, June 18, 2025. His appearance comes a month after he was charged with allegedly flying the flag of the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah at a concert in the British capital last November.
Under British law, it is illegal to display articles promoting banned groups such as Hezbollah.
Kneecap, a Belfast-based group who rap in English but mostly in Gaeilge (Gaelic, the Irish language), have denied the “terrorism” charges.
“We deny these ‘offences’ and will defend ourselves vigorously. This is political policing. This is a carnival of distraction,” the band wrote on X last month.
O’Hanna told London’s Wide Awake Festival last month that it was an attempt to “silence us”.
The band have long opposed Israel's actions in Gaza, saying the country is committing "genocide".
In court on Wednesday, prosecutors said the case was not about the rapper's stance on Israel and Palestine.
"He has a right to express his opinion and solidarity, like anyone else," prosecutor Michael Bisgrove said.
"The allegations in this case are entirely separate and relate to video footage showing that, in November last year, Mr O'Hanna was wearing and displaying a Hezbollah flag ... while saying 'keep up Hamas, keep up Hezbollah'."
In response, Brenda Campbell, the defendant's lawyer, argued that the charges were brought too late, coming more than six months after the alleged crimes were committed at a concert in Kentish Town, north London.
"If our client is right in relation to that, then this court has no jurisdiction and the case ends there," Campbell said.
Judge Paul Goldspring said a further hearing would be held on August 20 to determine whether the defence was correct in this judgment.
Before O'Hanna appeared in court on Wednesday, Kneecap wrote on X that dozens of Palestinians had been killed by Israeli soldiers on Tuesday in Gaza while waiting for aid trucks.
"Meanwhile tomorrow they're going to try to label Mo Chara a terrorist," Kneecap said.
Outside the London courtroom on Wednesday, an Irish activist who gave his name as Patrick said the charges against O'Hanna were "nonsense".
"This case has all the hallmarks of a political show trial," he told Al Jazeera.
Sarah Cotte, 21, said she believed the group were "targeted because they are uncompromising and unyielding in their expression of solidarity with the Palestinian cause and their solidarity with the Irish people".
The band shot to international fame last year after a semi-fictional film about them won a slew of awards, including one at the Sundance Film Festival.
The Irish trio have been supported by leading British musicians including Paul Weller and Brian Eno, who have condemned what they called "a concerted effort to censor and de-platform Kneecap".
The allegations against O'Hanna aren't the only controversy the group has faced. Kneecap apologized this year when a video from 2023 emerged that appeared to show a singer calling for the death of a British Conservative politician.
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