Latest news with #terrorcharge
Times
a day ago
- Times
Kneecap rapper's Hezbollah terror case should be dropped, court told
A member of the Belfast rap group Kneecap has started a challenge for a terror charge against him to be dismissed. Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, 27, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, had been accused of displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah, a proscribed terrorist organisation, during a gig at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, north London, in November. In a pre-trial hearing at Westminster magistrates' court on Wednesday, the rapper's defence team argued the case should be thrown out, citing a technical error in the way the charge against him was brought. Brenda Campbell KC, for Ó hAnnaidh, told the court 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.
CNN
a day ago
- Entertainment
- CNN
Hundreds of protesters turn up to support Irish rapper as he appears in court on terror charge
A rapper from Irish language rap group Kneecap was greeted by hundreds of supporters waving flags and holding banners as he arrived in court on Wednesday morning on a terror charge. Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, who performs as Mo Chara, has been accused of displaying a flag in support of the Lebanese group, Hezbollah who are a designated terror group in the UK. London's Metropolitan Police launched an investigation in April after a video surfaced online of Ó hAnnaidh allegedly displaying the flag during a London gig in 2024. Ó hAnnaidh has denied the charges, saying he does not support Hezbollah and called his prosecution a 'carnival of distraction' deflecting from current events in Gaza. A scrum with photographers broke out as Ó hAnnaidh arrived at London's Westminster Magistrates Court, alongside fellow bandmates Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh, as crowds waved Palestinian flags and chanted loudly, 'Free Mo Chara.' Ó hAnnaidh spoke to confirm his name, date of birth and address to the court at the start of the hearing. The court heard legal arguments, with Ó hAnnaidh's defense team seeking to throw the case out, arguing it was not brought within the legal limit of six months. Judge Paul Goldspring adjourned the case until September 26, when he will give his decision. The 27-year-old left court without entering a plea, and will be required to appear at the next hearing. Leaving the courthouse, he was met with chants of 'Drop the charges now' from his supporters. The investigation was launched shortly after an appearance by the band at the California music festival, Coachella, at which they projected messages onstage about Israel's war in Gaza. On Tuesday evening, police announced public order restrictions on the protests in order to 'prevent serious disruption,' confining gatherings to a designated area outside the court. From early on Wednesday morning, crowds of protesters congregated outside the central London court. Speaking to CNN, one supporter, Mike McCusker, 62, said he had been following Kneecap since 2019. 'I've seen them a dozen times, they've always stood against oppression,' he said. Kneecap, who rap mainly in Irish, have steadily built up an international fanbase, gaining praise for their efforts to revitalize the Irish language. Formed in Belfast, Northern Ireland in 2017, the band have sought to modernize the language through their rap songs depicting their experiences growing up in the wake of a decades long sectarian conflict, the Troubles. Laden with references to drug and alcohol use and critiques of the British government, the band's music has made them no stranger to controversy over the years. In 2024, the trio released their second studio album 'Fine Art' and a self-titled semi-autobiographical feature film which won acclaim from critics and scooped up awards at both the British Independent Film Awards and the Sundance Film Festival. The band have been long-time advocates for the rights of Palestinians. Their performance at UK music festival Glastonbury in June became mired in controversy after UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the group should not have been allowed to perform in light of the charges faced by Ó hAnnaidh. The group are next set to play at several more European festivals this summer before a headline gig in London's Wembley Arena on September 18. CNN's Sophie Tanno contributed reporting.
CNN
a day ago
- Entertainment
- CNN
Hundreds of protesters turn up to support Irish rapper as he appears in court on terror charge
A rapper from Irish language rap group Kneecap was greeted by hundreds of supporters waving flags and holding banners as he arrived in court on Wednesday morning on a terror charge. Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, who performs as Mo Chara, has been accused of displaying a flag in support of the Lebanese group, Hezbollah who are a designated terror group in the UK. London's Metropolitan Police launched an investigation in April after a video surfaced online of Ó hAnnaidh allegedly displaying the flag during a London gig in 2024. Ó hAnnaidh has denied the charges, saying he does not support Hezbollah and called his prosecution a 'carnival of distraction' deflecting from current events in Gaza. A scrum with photographers broke out as Ó hAnnaidh arrived at London's Westminster Magistrates Court, alongside fellow bandmates Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh, as crowds waved Palestinian flags and chanted loudly, 'Free Mo Chara.' Ó hAnnaidh spoke to confirm his name, date of birth and address to the court at the start of the hearing. The court heard legal arguments, with Ó hAnnaidh's defense team seeking to throw the case out, arguing it was not brought within the legal limit of six months. Judge Paul Goldspring adjourned the case until September 26, when he will give his decision. The 27-year-old left court without entering a plea, and will be required to appear at the next hearing. Leaving the courthouse, he was met with chants of 'Drop the charges now' from his supporters. The investigation was launched shortly after an appearance by the band at the California music festival, Coachella, at which they projected messages onstage about Israel's war in Gaza. On Tuesday evening, police announced public order restrictions on the protests in order to 'prevent serious disruption,' confining gatherings to a designated area outside the court. From early on Wednesday morning, crowds of protesters congregated outside the central London court. Speaking to CNN, one supporter, Mike McCusker, 62, said he had been following Kneecap since 2019. 'I've seen them a dozen times, they've always stood against oppression,' he said. Kneecap, who rap mainly in Irish, have steadily built up an international fanbase, gaining praise for their efforts to revitalize the Irish language. Formed in Belfast, Northern Ireland in 2017, the band have sought to modernize the language through their rap songs depicting their experiences growing up in the wake of a decades long sectarian conflict, the Troubles. Laden with references to drug and alcohol use and critiques of the British government, the band's music has made them no stranger to controversy over the years. In 2024, the trio released their second studio album 'Fine Art' and a self-titled semi-autobiographical feature film which won acclaim from critics and scooped up awards at both the British Independent Film Awards and the Sundance Film Festival. The band have been long-time advocates for the rights of Palestinians. Their performance at UK music festival Glastonbury in June became mired in controversy after UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the group should not have been allowed to perform in light of the charges faced by Ó hAnnaidh. The group are next set to play at several more European festivals this summer before a headline gig in London's Wembley Arena on September 18. CNN's Sophie Tanno contributed reporting.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Kneecap terror charge 'should be thrown out thanks to legal blunder', court told
A member of rap group Kneecap is bidding for a terror charge against him to be thrown out by claiming police and prosecutors made a technical blunder at the start of criminal proceedings. Liam Og O hAnnaidh, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, is accused of supporting a proscribed terror organisation by displaying a Hezbollah flag at a gig in November last year. At Westminster magistrates court on Wednesday, his lawyers launched an application for the charge to be dismissed because of the way the charge was first brought. It is argued that Attorney General Richard Hermer had not formally given his consent when police told O hAnnaidh that he faced a terrorism-related offence on May 21. The following day, the senior law office's consent was given, but O hAnnaidh's lawyers say this was now out-of-time, falling a day beyond the time limit of six months to bring a criminal charge. The Crown Prosecution Service opposes the application, arguing the consent of the Attorney General is not required to bring a criminal charge. 'The Attorney General consent is not required until a court appearance at which the defendant engages with a charge', said Michael Bisgrove, for the CPS. Hundreds of Kneecap supporters turned out with flags and banners for O hAnnaidh's latest court hearing, greeting him with chants of 'free, free, Mo Chara'. O hAnnaidh was swamped by photographers as he arrived, with security officers taking more than a minute to usher him into the court building. The Metropolitan Police has imposed conditions limiting where the demonstration outside the court can take place, saying they are needed to 'prevent serious disruption'. That decision was met by Kneecap with an accusation it was a 'calculated political decision' that was 'designed to try and portray support for Kneecap as somehow troublesome'. The band 'asked supporters to go out of your way to be compliant with all instructions issued, irrespective of how pitiful'. O hAnnaidh's lawyers, in written submissions to the court, argue the charge against him was brought on May 22, after Attorney General consent had been given, and is therefore 'out of time'. They say the CPS 'now seeks to rely on a written 'charge' issued by the Metropolitan Police on the previous day, 21st May 2025. 'However, proceedings could not be lawfully instituted without the consent of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) - who could not consent without the permission of the Attorney General. 'The DPP had not consented to the institution of proceedings when the police 'charge' was issued on 21st May 2025, nor had the Attorney General given his permission to the DPP to consent. 'The charge issued by the Metropolitan Police was, in the circumstances, a nullity.' Court papers reveal the Met Police issued a 'notice of criminal charge' on May 21 at midday, over the alleged offence on November 21 2024. O hAnnaidh was told in the notice to appear at court on 10am on June 18, with a Detective Constable named as the issuer. The next day, at 6.06pm, the reviewing lawyer in the case, who is a specialist terrorism prosecutor for the CPS, sent an email to the defence solicitor which read: 'At 18:06 hours today I made the decision to re-issue the Postal Charge and Requisition. 'This relates to the same offence/allegation. 'A copy of this is attached for your information. You will be provided with some disclosure about why this has been done in due course'. This fresh notice came with a 'charge date' of May 22 An explanation provided by the CPS to O hAnnaidh later explained that the police Postal Charge and Requisition (PCR) was issued when 'a Law Officer had not given permission for the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to consent to the institution of proceedings. 'On 22 May 2025 His Majesty's Solicitor General gave permission for the DPP to consent to the prosecution of the Defendant. Thereafter the DPP consented to the prosecution of the Defendant. 'On 22 May 2025 the Prosecution, after DPP consent had been given, issued a PCR .' The hearing, before Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring, continues. O hAnnaidh has not yet entered a plea to the charge. He is represented by four barristers for the hearing, including three who are King's Counsel.
France 24
22-07-2025
- Politics
- France 24
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