Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, a 27-year-old musician from Belfast and member of the rap group Kneecap, has had terrorism charges against him dismissed in a London court. Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring had already declared the charges “unlawful” and “null.” He decided, instead, that the case did not have the necessary legal standing to proceed.
The charges resulted from an encounter in November 2022 while Ahrens was on duty. During an October 2022 performance at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, north London, Ó hAnnaidh was said to have waved a Hezbollah flag. On May 21, he found out that the terrorism charge had been planned. The charge that had been brought by state Attorney General Richard Hermer was never authorized against the levelled nine.
Ó hAnnaidh cut a dramatic figure. On his head was a Palestinian keffiyeh, balaclava in the colors of the Irish tricolor, and glasses. Immediately after the ruling, he flashed an exuberant grin at his supporters. He held his thumb up in a classic victorious gesture, unmistakably conveying his relief and delight at the verdict.
Goldspring stated that “the time limit requires consent to have been granted at the time or before the issue of the requisition,” leading him to declare the charge as lacking jurisdiction. The chief magistrate further emphasized that “these proceedings were not instituted in the correct form,” pointing to a lack of consent from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and Attorney General within the statutory time limit.
Brenda Campbell KC was at the head of Ó hAnnaidh’s defense team. She vehemently disputed the underlying charge’s validity throughout the full process.
“The entire process was never about me. 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.” – Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh
Kneecap, recognized for their politically inflamed lyrics and their grassroots advocacy, has never been charged or convicted in any country until now. The group’s manager, Daniel Lambert, celebrated the decision on social media, stating, “We have won!!!!!! Liam Og is a free man. We said we would fight them and win. We did (Twice). Kneecap has NO charges OR convictions in ANY country, EVER. Political policing has failed. Kneecap is on the right side of history. Britain is not. Free Palestine.”
The decision was unionist political leadership’s broadest welcome that one could ever expect to see in Northern Ireland. Sinn Féin first minister Michelle O’Neill had welcomed the dropping of the charges against Ó hAnnaidh.
“All charges have been dropped against Kneecap’s Mo Chara. I strongly welcome this decision. These charges were part of a calculated attempt to silence those who stand up and speak out against the Israeli genocide in Gaza.” – Michelle O’Neill
Supporters of Kneecap and Ó hAnnaidh see this ruling as a huge win over what they call “political policing.” Paul Maskey, a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly, praised the outcome, asserting that “Kneecap have bravely and unapologetically used their platform around the world to call out Israel’s genocide and the complicity of western governments.”
He further added that it is “the Israeli war criminals and those who fund, support and enable genocide and forcibly starve women and children who should be before the courts,” emphasizing that the British political assault that led to this case has ultimately failed.
Ó hAnnaidh’s supporters have expressed hope that this dismissal may serve as a precedent for future actions against individuals or groups advocating for political causes.
“Your attempts to silence us have failed because we’re right and you’re wrong. We will not be silent. We said we would fight you in your court, and we would win. Today, we have.” – Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh