Kneecap appoint legal ‘dream team' including Birmingham Six lawyer ahead of terror charge court case

Irish Independent

a day ago

Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh (27), who uses the stage name Mo Chara, was charged by British police last month with a terrorism offence over the alleged display of a flag in support of Hezbollah at a London gig in November 2024.
The group claim the charges are part of an establishment campaign to silence them over their criticism of Israel over Gaza. Scores of fellow artists, including Paul Weller, Massive Attack and Portishead, have come out in support of the group.
The rap trio have announced the legal team that will represent Ó Hannaidh when he appears at Westminster Magistrates' Court next Wednesday.
It includes experts in human rights and criminal defence law, such as international human rights lawyer Darragh Mackin, who represented Stardust fire families, and criminal defence expert Gareth Peirce, who has defended the Birmingham Six and the Guilford Four.
"The British establishment is conducting a campaign against Kneecap which is to be fought in Westminster Magistrates court,' the band said in a statement.
"We are ready for this fight. We are proud to have a strong legal team with us. We are on the right side of history. You are not. We will fight you in your court. We will win.'
They described the team of six high-profile lawyers as 'the dream team'.
Human rights lawyer Mr Mackin, who is 'renowned for his representation of the families of the Stardust fire, the 'Hooded Men' who were subject to torture by the British Government, and his role in changing the law against abortion in the North', will be accompanied by Ms Peirce and Brenda Campbell KC, the band said.
They described Ms Campbell as 'a high-profile criminal defence specialist regularly appearing in cases relating to terrorism and protest law' who has previously represented 'the families of the Hillsborough disaster, the Stardust families and the family of Noah Donohoe'.
Jude Bunting KC, an 'expert in freedom of expression' who has appeared for national and international media outlets, including 'in the challenge to MI5 for their handling of a neo-Nazi agent' who abused his partner, will also be involved in the case, the band said.
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Barrister Blinne Ní Ghrálaigh KC, who recently appeared before the International Criminal Court of Justice on behalf of South Africa in the genocide case against Israel over its actions in Gaza, and Rosalyn Comyn, who recently acted for the environmental protesters who threw soup at Van Gogh's Sunflowers painting in their appeal against their sentence, will also appear.
Kneecap have previously said they will 'vehemently defend' themselves against the terrorism offence brought Ó hAnnaidh by British police, describing it as 'political' and a 'distraction'.
He was charged over the alleged display of a flag in support of Hezbollah at a gig at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, north London, in November last year by the Metropolitan Police by postal requisition on May 21.