Kneecap's Mo Chara Granted Unconditional Bail at First Hearing on Terror Charge
Kneecap's Mo Chara was released on unconditional bail at his first court appearance in London on terror charges tied to an incident where he allegedly displayed a Hezbollah flag at a concert.
The preliminary hearing at the Westminster Magistrates' Court Wednesday June 18 was largely procedural. The Belfast rapper, real name Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, spoke only to confirm his name, and the judge scheduled his next court date for Aug. 20. If convicted, Ó hAnnaidh could face up to six months in prison, and a fine.
More from Rolling Stone
Wife of Weezer Bassist Appears in Court, Wins Delay in LAPD Shooting Case
Tyler Perry Sued for Alleged Sexual Assault, Battery by 'The Oval' Actor
Matthew Perry's Ketamine Death: Second Doctor Agrees to Plead Guilty
The terror charge is based on footage from a November 2024 concert in London, where Ó hAnnaidh allegedly displayed the Hezbollah flag and yelled, 'Up, Hamas, up Hezbollah,' as well as, 'The only good Tory is a dead Tory.' Both Hamas and Hezbollah are banned in the U.K., and it is a crime to publicly support them.
Ó hAnnaidh and Kneecap have repeatedly denied the allegations, stating previously that they 'do not, and have never, supported Hamas or Hezbollah.' They've claimed footage of the November 2024 concert was 'deliberately taken out of all context,' and suggested the terror charge is a reprisal for their outspoken support for Palestine, their calls for an end to the war in Gaza, and their criticism of the U.K. and U.S. governments for continuing to fund and supply arms to Israel.
At Wednesday's hearing, prosecutor Michael Bisgrove insisted the case was not about Ó hAnnaidh's support for Palestine or criticism of Israel, adding that he is 'well within his rights to voice his opinions and solidarity, as is anybody else' (via The Associated Press). Rather, Bisgrove said the case is centered around the video of Ó hAnnaidh at the November 2024 concert.
Ó hAnnaidh's lawyer, Brenda Campbell, countered that authorities charged the rapper outside the six-month statute of limitations for a terror offense. While the concert took place on Nov. 21, 2024, London Metropolitan police only became aware of the alleged incident in late April 2025, not long after Kneecap's controversial set at Coachella, where they displayed messages about the war in Gaza. The charge was brought May 21, exactly six months after the London concert.
'If we are right in relation to that, then this court has no jurisdiction and there ends the case,' Campbell said of the timeline.
Ó hAnnaidh and his bandmates Móglaí Bap (Naoise Ó Cairealláin) and DJ Próvai (JJ O'Dochartaigh) all arrived at the London courthouse wearing Palestinian keffiyeh scarves. They were greeted by a crowd of supporters outside, many of whom were waving Palestinian and Irish flags.
On social media last night, Kneecap wrote, 'British courts have long charged people from the North of Ireland with 'terrorism' for crimes never committed. We will fight them. We will win.'
Best of Rolling Stone
Sly and the Family Stone: 20 Essential Songs
The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs
All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
The US on high alert
Welcome to the week.🙋🏼♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert. Megan Thee Stallion is my all-time favorite "Love Island" bombshell. The US is on high alert right now Cities across the country from New York to Los Angeles have beefed up security following notice from the Department of Homeland Security of a "heightened threat environment." The background: Iran — and its hard-line supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei — are almost certainly going to strike back in response to historic U.S. military strikes on three of its suspected nuclear facilities over the weekend. 📰 More details: These graphics show how operation Midnight Hammer unfolded. Activist Mahmoud Khalil speaks out after release from ICE custody ~ Mahmoud Khalil, the the 30-year-old Columbia University graduate and Palestinian activist, spoke upon arrival at Newark International Airport on Saturday, a day after a federal judge ordered his release from immigration detention. More news to know now What's the weather today? Check your local forecast here. If you're sweating as you read this ... ... That sticky feeling isn't going away so soon. Millions of Americans are in for a sweltering commute to work Monday as swaths of the nations face scorching temperatures that could reach as high as 100 degrees, particularly in the Mid-Atlantic region, weather experts said. A heat wave is expected to continue this week across the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and the Northeast, putting more than 150 million Americans under heat advisories, heat warnings or extreme heat watches, according to the National Weather Service. Experts say "it's going to feel miserable." Make elections more democratic? It's like picking ice cream. With so many candidates for mayor, New Yorkers will choose their next leader like they pick ice cream in the summer. The city's ranked choice system allows voters to choose their top five candidates for mayor, plus top picks in other city races. Even if your top choice doesn't make it, you can still get flavors, or candidates, you prefer. The system aims to give voters more choices in a crowded field of nearly a dozen Democratic and a handful of Republican mayoral hopefuls in closed primaries for both parties. And with ranked choice, state Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani, the 33-year-old democratic socialist calling to freeze rents, has inched ever closer Andrew Cuomo, New York's former governor. Today's talkers The Oklahoma City Thunder are on top The Thunder capped a dominant season with a 103-91 triumph against the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of the NBA Finals on Sunday, giving the franchise its first NBA championship since relocating to Oklahoma City from Seattle in 2008. It was not an easy win for the Thunder — even with the Pacers missing star guard Tyrese Haliburton, who left the game with 4:55 left in the first quarter due to a lower right leg injury. USA TODAY Sports has highlights, wild plays, analysis and more from the game. Photo of the day: The Bayou Bengals celebrate in Omaha After winning a mesmerizing pitching duel in Saturday night's College World Series opener, LSU took advantage of Coastal Carolina's sloppy start and won, 5-3, on Sunday, to capture the eighth national championship in program history. For Coastal Carolina, it's a heartbreaking and disappointing end to what had been a dream run. Celebrate LSU Tigers' eighth College World Series title with USA TODAY's commemorative page print. Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at USA TODAY, sign up for the email here. Want to send Nicole a note? Shoot her an email at NFallert@
Business Insider
2 hours ago
- Business Insider
Why markets are weirdly calm after the US bombed Iran
As of 6:15 a.m. ET, US stock futures are tracking higher, Treasury yields and gold have barely budged, crude oil prices are up less than 1%, the US Dollar Index is 0.6% higher, and bitcoin has erased its dip to below $99,000 to trade at about $101,500. "The markets are not yet reacting with any degree of panic to the US airstrike on Iran's nuclear facilities as they await to see how Tehran responds," Russ Mould, AJ Bell's investment director, said in a morning note. After a week of Israeli attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities and other targets, the US deployed "bunker busters" to strike the nation's underground nuclear infrastructure. President Donald Trump hailed the damage as "monumental" and warned of further strikes if Iran retaliates. The Iranian parliament has voted to close the Strait of Hormuz, through which passes about a fifth of the world's oil and gas. Government officials have said "all options" are on the table, yet financial markets appear largely unperturbed. One reason is uncertainty over what comes next. Iran is yet to retaliate, meaning the possibility of a one-off US military engagement instead of a prolonged conflict hasn't been ruled out. Iran seems to have limited options, given it relies on oil revenue from the Strait and may not want to anger its oil-exporting neighbors, and has fewer proxies and allies willing or able to help than in the past. The US has also emphasized it targeted nuclear sites, meaning Iran might retaliate against military targets if it does take action, preventing a full-blown war from breaking out. The fact the strikes occurred over the weekend has given traders time to process the potential fallout. If they happened during market hours, they might have taken knee-jerk actions with a "better safe than sorry" mindset, given the risk of being exposed and suffering big losses. Escalation still possible Investors have also been pricing in geopolitical risks for months, especially given the Israel-Hamas conflict and Israel's recent attacks on Iranian military leaders and Tehran's proxies such as Hezbollah. However, Trump has raised the prospect of "regime change" and suggested further strikes aren't off the table, meaning the possibility of escalation remains. The president's tariffs have already muddied the outlook for global growth, and the renewed possibility of America getting roped into a military campaign in the Middle East once again gives investors plenty to chew over. Disruptions to the global oil supply could fuel inflation and curb growth, meaning the economic stakes are high for much of the world. "The situation is evolving rapidly, and the ultimate consequences remain uncertain, requiring investors to stay alert as new developments arise," Hakan Kaya, senior portfolio manager at Neuberger Berman, said in a morning note.
Business Insider
3 hours ago
- Business Insider
Why markets are weirdly calm after the US bombed Iran
The US bombed three Iranian nuclear facilities on Sunday. Traders expected volatility on Monday, but markets have been unexpectedly calm. That likely reflects uncertainty, the timing of the bombings, and Iran's limited retaliation options. Investors were bracing for a wild day of trading on Monday after the US bombed Iran on Sunday, but world markets are surprisingly calm. As of 5:30 a.m. ET, US stock futures, Treasury yields, and gold have barely budged, crude oil prices are up only 0.3%, the US Dollar Index is 0.7% higher, and bitcoin has erased its dip to below $99,000 to trade at about $101,500. The US used "bunker busters" to strike Iran's underground nuclear infrastructure. President Donald Trump hailed the damage as "monumental" and warned of further strikes if Iran retaliates. The Iranian parliament has voted to close the Strait of Hormuz, through which passes about a fifth of the world's oil and gas. Government officials have said "all options" are on the table, yet financial markets appear largely unperturbed. One reason is uncertainty over what comes next. Iran is yet to retaliate, meaning the possibility of a one-off US military engagement instead of a prolonged conflict hasn't been ruled out. Iran seems to have limited options, given it relies on oil revenue from the Strait and may not want to anger its oil-exporting neighbors, and has fewer proxies and allies willing or able to help than in the past. The US has also emphasized it targeted nuclear sites, meaning Iran might retaliate against military targets if it does take action, preventing a full-blown war from breaking out. The fact the strikes occurred over the weekend has given traders time to process the potential fallout. If they happened during market hours, they might have taken knee-jerk actions with a "better safe than sorry" mindset, given the risk of being exposed and suffering big losses. Investors have also been pricing in geopolitical risks for months, especially given the Israel-Hamas conflict and Israel's recent attacks on Iranian military leaders and Tehran's proxies such as Hezbollah. However, Trump has raised the prospect of "regime change" and suggested further strikes aren't off the table, meaning the possibility of escalation remains. The president's tariffs have already muddied the outlook for global growth, and the renewed possibility of America getting roped into a military campaign in the Middle East once again gives investors plenty to chew over. It's clear a market panic hasn't taken hold as yet, but the US strikes have created a dust cloud of uncertainty and raised additional risks to market watchers.
