Kneecap say UK government is appealing court decision to throw out case: “We will not be silent”
Kneecap have insisted that they will “not be silent” after the UK government issued a notice stating that it intends to appeal the court’s decision to overturn the terrorism case against Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh.
Last year, Ó hAnnaidh, who goes by the stage name Mo Chara, was accused of displaying a flag in support of the proscribed terrorist organisation Hezbollah at a gig in London in November 2024. The case was thrown out in September, but will now be appealed.
Reacting to the news, Kneecap took to X to share with their fans: “The British government has issued us notice that they will appeal the decision of their own magistrates’ court to throw out the case against Mo Chara.”
Last year, it was announced that the Crown Prosecution Service said it would be appealing against the decision because “we believe there is an important point of law which needs to be clarified”.
The statement continued, “It is the view of our legal team that there is not an iota of logic for this; it is without any sound legal basis.”
Kneecap accused the original suit of being “political policing” and labelled the situation “a carnival of distraction”.
Continuing with this rhetoric, Kneecap wrote, “It is another flailing arm to distract from, and to try and silence those who stand on the right side of history as they are complicit.”
The statement added, “As Israel today moves to ban charitable organisations providing lifesaving aid and primitive shelter to millions, the British state once again turns to vilify those who oppose genocide.”
After sharing that it will be heard on January 14th at the High Court, Royal Courts of Justice, The Strand, London, they finished with the bold statement: “We will not be silent.”
In November, Kneecap announced details of a huge headline show in London at Crystal Palace Park on June 27th, 2026. It is set to be the biggest headline show of the Irish rap trio’s career to date.
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