BELFAST,Northern Ireland – Charges against Kneecap rapper Liam Ó Maonlaí,known as Mo Chara,have been dropped by a UK court,with the judge ruling the indictment “unlawful and void.” the decision stems from procedural errors in how the prosecution was filed, specifically that the Public Prosecution Service and Attorney General failed to secure the necessary permissions within a six-month legal timeframe.
the case centered around allegations of terrorism linked to the band’s political expressions and support for palestine. Kneecap has consistently denied the accusations. The band faced increasing scrutiny, including being barred from entry into Canada earlier this month, with the Canadian government citing the group’s “openly express[ed] support to terrorist organizations.” They were also disinvited from the Sziget Festival in Hungary.
Following the judge’s ruling, Ó maonlaí was released. “Sir ó Hannaidh, you are free to go,” the judge stated, adding, “You can party outside, but the court now has other things on her head.”
Ó Maonlaí addressed the court and supporters,stating,”This whole process was never about me. It was about Gaza, about what happens when you dare to speak out. Your attempts to silence us have failed as we are right and you are wrong.”
Northern Ireland’s First Minister Michelle O’Neill welcomed the decision, stating the allegations were ”part of an attempt to silence those who speak out against the Israeli genocide in Gaza.”
Kneecap’s manager, Daniel Lambert, celebrated the outcome on X (formerly Twitter), declaring, “We won! Liam is a free man.” Ó Maonlaí also criticized the British government in a social media post, stating, ”If someone on this planet is guilty of terrorism, then it is the British state.”
