Hezbollah terror case against Kneecap rapper thrown out after technical error

The terrorism case against Kneecap rapper Liam Og O hAnnaidh has been thrown out following a technical error in the way the charge against him was brought.

The 27-year-old from Belfast, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, was accused of displaying a flag in support of proscribed terror organisation Hezbollah at a gig at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, north London, in November last year.

At Woolwich Crown Court on Friday, chief magistrate Paul Goldspring agreed with O hAnnaidh’s lawyers, who argued that the Attorney General had not given permission for the case to be brought against the defendant when police informed him he was to face a terror charge on May 21.

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Decision

In his judgment, Mr Goldspring said: “These proceedings were instituted unlawfully and are null.”

Concluding the reasons for his decision, he said: “I find that these proceedings were not instituted in the correct form, lacking the necessary DPP (Director of Public Prosecutions) and AG (Attorney General) consent within the six-month statutory time limit.

“The time limit requires consent to have been granted at the time or before the issue of the requisition.

“Consequently the charge is unlawful and null and this court has no jurisdiction to try the charge.”

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