Is Kneecap’s Mo Chara considering legal case against British state after terror charge thrown out?

Kneecap’s Mo Chara – real name Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh – is “definitely” considering legal action against the British state, following the dismissal of his terror charge last week.  

The Belfast rapper had been charged over an alleged incident where he reportedly waved a Hezbollah flag at a London gig last November. 

On Friday (26 September), the case was thrown out on a technicality, with Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring agreeing that the charge against Ó hAnnaidh fell outside the statute of limitations and telling the court that it was “unlawful” and “null”. 

Mo Chara and his Kneecap bandmates have consistently denounced Hezbollah and Hamas, two militant groups that are considered terrorist organizations by the United Kingdom, and said that they do not incite or condone violence. They have been vocal advocates for Palestinian rights and have used their platform to criticise Israel's actions in Gaza and those who condone genocide. They have also denied accusations of anti-Semitism, claiming that “those attacking us want to silence criticism of mass slaughter.” 

“This entire process was never about me,” Mo Chara told supporters outside the courthouse. "It was never about any threat to the public; it was never about terrorism - a word used by your government to discredit people you oppress.” 

“It was always about Gaza, about what happens if you dare to speak up,” he added.

Now, Mo Chara has given his first interview since the verdict.

“Even if it had’ve went to court, we would’ve won anyway,” Mo Chara said in an interview with Virgin Media. “It was a complete circus, it was a carnival, a distraction from what’s actually going on. And the more that they dragged this out, the longer they could keep this in the news, rather than talk about the actual issues.” 

“Obviously for me personally, it’s just a relief that it’s finished,” he said, describing the experience as “a bit of a nightmare”, although he added: “If we’re talking comparisons, I’ll get over it. There’s a lot of stuff that’s irreparable in Gaza already. I’ll bounce back.” 

“Better luck next time,” he told British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and said legal action against the British state is “definitely something we’re going to look into.”

Check out the interview below:

In a statement posted after the case was thrown out of court, Mo Chara wrote: “As people from Ireland we know oppression, colonialism, famine and genocide. We have suffered and still suffer under ‘your empire’."

He added: "Your attempts to silence us have failed, because we are right, and you are wrong. We will not be silent.”