Rapper Liam hAnnaidh, who goes by the name Mo Chara, is back in court today. What he is accused of and what is anticipated to happen next is given in this image.
A member of controversial Irish rap band Kneecap is back in court in London today to see if the charge against him will be thrown out by a judge.
But what is 27-year-old Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh – who performs under the name Mo Chara – charged with? And what has the Belfast band – who were recently banned from entering Canada and forced to cancel gigs in America because of it – said about the allegation?
After allegedly displaying a flag in support of the terror group Hezbollah during a performance at London’s O2 Forum in Kentish Town on November 21, 2024, g hAnnaidh was charged with a terror offence in May of that year.
Additionally, the group has seen concert cancellations after the group’s concert footage showed a member yelling “up Hamas, up Hezbollah.” It is against the law to support Hamas and Hezbollah in the UK because they are both prohibited.
READ MORE: Kneecap banned by Canadian government over terrorism allegations as band hit back
The artist was accused of displaying the flag “in such a way or under such circumstances as to arouse reasonable suspicion that he supports a prohibited organization,” according to Met Police.
The Met’s counter-terrorism command was informed of an online video from the event on April 22 according to the force. The Crown Prosecution Service approved the above charge after conducting an investigation.
Following the release of the terror charge, the band later denied the allegations and said, “We will fight you in court.”
The band frequently uses the phrase “Free Palestine” during their gigs and interviews to declare that “14, 000 babies are about to die of starvation in Gaza, with food being sent by the world sitting on the other side of a wall, and once more the British establishment is focused on us.”
We vehemently defend ourselves against this “offence” and deny it. Political policing is involved here. This distracts you from the real world. The story is not ours. Genocide is a. They use an “anti-terror law” against us for displaying a flag on stage because they profit from the genocide.
The statement continued: “A charge not serious enough to even warrant their ‘crown court’, instead a court that doesn’t have a jury. What’s the objective? To restrict our travel ability. To prevent us speaking to young people across the world. To silence voices of compassion. To prosecute artists who dare to speak out.
The powerful in Britain have supported slaughter and famine in Gaza, just as they have done in Ireland for centuries, instead of standing up for innocent people or the international law principles they claim to uphold. Then they assert justification, as they do now. The real terrorists are the IDF units, and everyone can see that when they equip and fly spy plane missions.
We support the people with all our strength. You and the war criminals are at odds with you. On the right side of history, we are. You’re not, though. In court, we’ll fight you. We’ll triumph. Palestine that is free.
HAnnaidh has since appeared in court and is battling to have the case dismissed. Kneecap have previously denied the charge and said they would “vehemently defend” “themselves” despite not having entered a formal plea. Additionally, they “emphasize” that they do not support Hamas or Hezbollah.
As he appeared in court in Dublin last month, the rapper received the support of hundreds of fans as well as those who gathered there. People waved Irish and Palestinian flags as well as free Mo Chara, which “could be heard.”
When he next appears in court this morning, more supporters are anticipated. Due to a leak in the area following a burst water main, the hearing will now take place at Woolwich Crown Court.
Prosecutor Michael Bisgrove argued in his earlier court appearance that “ghAnnaidh was well within his rights to voice his opinions and his solidarity, just like everyone else is.” The video recording that shows Mr. O’Hanna displaying and flaunting the Hezbollah flag in “up Hamas, up Hezbollah” in November of last year is a wholly different thing, he added.
The charge was brought more than six months after the alleged crime, so Brenda Campbell, who is defending it, is attempting to have it dropped. If we are correct, this court has no jurisdiction, and the case is over, she said.
However, the prosecution has argued that filing a criminal charge is not required until the defendant makes his or her first court appearance. Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring must now decide whether or not he has the authority to hear the case.
Source: Mirror
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