A member of the Irish rap group Kneecap has appeared in court, where he sought to throw out a “terror” charge for allegedly supporting the proscribed Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah.
Liam Og O hAnnaidh, who was initially charged under the Anglicised name Liam O’Hanna, and performs under the stage name Mo Chara, appeared at the Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday after he was charged in May for displaying a Hezbollah flag during a London concert in the prior November.
O hAnnaidh, 27, was greeted by loyal supporters chanting “Free Mo Chara” and waving Irish and Palestinian flags, footage showed. His fellow bandmembers Naoise O Caireallain and J J O Dochartaigh were also in court.
O hAnnaidh was swamped by photographers as he arrived, with security officers taking more than a minute to usher him into the court building.
O hAnnaidh’s lawyers said the charge was brought too late and the prosecution case should be thrown out, as O hAnnaidh was formally charged on May 22 this year, one day after the six-month limit for such charges.
Judge Paul Goldspring said he would give a decision on September 26.
O hAnnaidh left the court to cheers from supporters, telling the crowd the charge against him was “a distraction from the real story” of Israel’s actions in the Palestinian territories.
