Liam O’Hanna, a member of the Irish rap group Kneecap, has been charged with a “terror” offense for allegedly supporting the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.
O’Hanna, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, appeared at the Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday after being charged in May for displaying a Hezbollah flag during a London concert in November.
The 27-year-old was greeted by crowds chanting “Free Mo Chara” and waving Irish and Palestinian flags outside the court. His fellow band members Naoise O Caireallain and J J O Dochartaigh also attended the hearing.
O’Hanna was swamped by photographers as he arrived, with security officers taking more than a minute to usher him into the court building.
The prosecution alleges that O’Hanna displayed the flag of Hezbollah, a proscribed terrorist organization, while allegedly saying “Up Hamas, up Hezbollah.”
However, the punk-rap group claims that the video that led to the charge was taken out of context. Kneecap has taken a stance against Israel’s assault on Gaza, which has killed more than 60,000 people and reduced much of the enclave to rubble since it began in October 2023.
Prosecutor Michael Bisgrove told the court that the case was “not about O’Hanna’s support for the people of Palestine or his criticism of Israel.” “He is well within his rights to voice his opinions and his solidarity,” Bisgrove said.
Instead, the prosecutor said, the case was about O’Hanna displaying “the flag of Hezbollah, a proscribed terrorist organisation, while allegedly saying ‘Up Hamas, up Hezbollah'”.
The hearing is expected to hear legal arguments on whether the charge falls outside a six-month time limit. Hundreds of fans had cheered outside the central London court in June when O’Hanna made his first appearance, with dozens waving flags and playing drums.
Police imposed conditions limiting where demonstrations in support of O’Hanna can take place, saying they were needed to “prevent serious disruption.”
In response, Kneecap described this move as a “calculated political decision” which is a “distraction from war crimes that the British state supports.”
Kneecap has been no stranger to controversy, clashing with the UK’s previous Conservative government and voicing opposition to British rule in Northern Ireland.
The group’s stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict has sparked heated debates, with some supporting their right to free speech and others condemning their alleged support for Hezbollah.