UK court rejects attempt to revive terrorism case against Kneecap rapper

British prosecutors have failed in their attempt to reinstate a terrorism charge against a member of Irish rap group Kneecap after London’s High Court upheld an earlier decision to throw the case out.

The ruling on Wednesday ends the legal effort against Liam O’Hanna, who had been accused of waving a Hezbollah flag during a concert in London. Prosecutors had sought to challenge a lower court decision from September that dismissed the case due to a technical error.

The High Court rejected the appeal, effectively closing the case.

In a statement following the decision, the Crown Prosecution Service said the ruling had clarified how the law should be applied in similar cases going forward.

The agency added that it accepted the outcome and would adjust its internal procedures accordingly.

O’Hanna — also known as Liam Og O hAnnaid in the Irish language and performing under the stage name Mo Chara — had been charged in May of last year. Prosecutors alleged that he displayed a Hezbollah flag during a November 2024 performance in London, which they said violated the United Kingdom’s 2000 Terrorism Act.

The Belfast-based hip-hop group Kneecap, known for performing in both Irish and English, has long drawn attention for its outspoken political messaging. The band has been particularly vocal in condemning Israel’s actions in Gaza.

Members of the group had previously described the prosecution as a politically motivated case, calling it a “British state witch-hunt”.

Speaking at a news conference in Belfast after the ruling, O’Hanna said the case was never about public safety or terrorism.

“It was always about Palestine, about what happens if you dare to speak up, about what happens if you can reach large groups of people and expose their hypocrisy, about the lengths Britain will go to cover up Israeli and US war crimes,” he said.

The event drew supporters and included the rapper’s bandmates JJ O Dochartaigh and Naoise O Caireallain, who perform under the stage names DJ Provai and Moglai Bap.

Addressing the UK government directly, O’Hanna pointed to the court’s ruling as confirmation that the prosecution had failed.

“Your own High Court ruled against you,” he said.

“The pathetic thing about this whole process is that you falsely tried to label me a terrorist when it is the British government ministers that are arming and assisting a genocide in Gaza, the destruction of Lebanon, and the senseless slaughter of schoolkids in Iran.”

With the High Court rejecting the appeal, the legal case against the rapper will not move forward.