Kneecap rapper will not face new terror trial after CPS appeal rejected

Kneecap rapper Liam Og O hAnnaidh will not face a new terrorism trial after High Court judges rejected his appeal against the Crown Prosecution Service’s (CPS) decision to strike out the case.

The rapper, who uses the stage name Mo Chara, was accused of displaying a flag supporting banned terrorist organization Hezbollah at a concert at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, north London, on November 21, 2024.

The case was thrown out last September after chief magistrate Paul Goldspring ruled the proceedings had been “unlawfully commenced”.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) appealed the decision in the High Court at a hearing in January, and the Kneecap rapper opposed the appeal.

On Wednesday, two judges at the High Court upheld the decision and dismissed the CPS’ appeal.

Judge Goldspring agreed with O hAnnaidh’s lawyers that prosecutors should have received permission from the attorney general before declaring the rapper to be charged with terrorism charges on May 21.

This permission was requested and granted the next day; The court heard the charge meant he fell outside the six-month period within which criminal charges could be laid against the defendant.

Judge Edis, sitting with Mr Justice Linden, said in his ruling on Wednesday that “the judge was correct in his decision that he did not have jurisdiction to try any summary offense alleged to have been committed at that time”.

He said: “The defendant has not been and will not be tried for his alleged conduct on September 21, 2025.

“He was neither convicted nor acquitted.”

Kneecap has scheduled a press conference to be held at Conway Mill in Belfast at around 2.15pm.

This is breaking news, more to come…