Kneecap’s Mo Chara issues statement after UK government loses appeal: “I will not be silent”
Kneecap‘s Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, known by his stage name Mo Chara, has broken his silence after the UK government’s bid to dismiss the judge’s decision to throw out his terrorism charge was rejected.
The Irish musician was accused of displaying a Hezbollah flag at a gig at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town in London in November 2024.
The case was initially thrown out after Kneecap’s legal team argued that Attorney General Richard Hermer hadn’t given his permission for the charge to be brought against Óg Ó hAnnaidh within the six-month time frame of the alleged offence occurring.
Then, in October, the Crown Prosecution Service announced its intention to appeal the decision, stating they “believe there is an important point of law which needs to be clarified.”
However, today it was confirmed that the judge’s original decision would be upheld and Óg Ó hAnnaidh would not be facing a new trial.
Following the decision, Óg Ó hAnnaidh said in a statement (per Belfast Live), “I owe eternal gratitude to my legal team, who left no stone unturned in ensuring justice was upheld.”
He also maintained, “This entire process was never about me, never about any threat to the public and never about ‘terrorism’, a word used by the British Government to discredit people you oppress both in Ireland and across the world.”
The rapper then stated that he believes it was his stance on Palestine which led to the charge being filed, adding, “It was always about Palestine and about what happens if you dare to speak up. About what happens if you can reach large groups of people and expose their hypocrisy.”
He signed off by insisting, “I will not be silent. Kneecap will not be silent.”
Then, at a press conference held in Belfast, Óg Ó hAnnaidh said of the long-running case, “This is bigger than us – whatever kind of stress that we felt, it’s minimal compared to the stress put on the families in Gaza.”
He also pledged to “continue to use whatever platform we have to talk about Gaza” and said, “We don’t give a fuck about the repercussions anymore”.
Meanwhile, his solicitor Darragh Mackin also issued a statement after the ruling, sharing, “This prosecution was a legally laughable witch-hunt. A witch-hunt that was born at Coachella, cultivated in Westminster, comes to an end in West Belfast.”
Mackin then condemned the government for spending taxpayers’ money on the legal fight, saying, “There are better ways to spend British pounds than pointless prosecutions and pursuing expensive appeals.”
The Crown Prosecution Service have since accepted the decision, with a spokesperson issuing the following statement, “The High Court has clarified how the law applies to the issuing of written charges in summary offences where Attorney General permission was required for the Director of Public Prosecutions to consent to a prosecution. We accept the judgment and will update our processes accordingly.”
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