Court Dismisses Charges Against Kneecap Rapper Over Hezbollah Flag Incident

A London court has dismissed a terror-related charge against Kneecap's rapper, Mo Chara, known off-stage as Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh. The charge stemmed from an incident where the rapper waved a Hezbollah flag, which is banned in the UK, during a concert in London last year.

The case was dismissed by Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring at Woolwich Crown Court, who cited a technical error in the prosecution's filing process. Goldspring declared the proceedings "instituted unlawfully and null," leading to the dismissal of the case against the rapper.

Critics have previously accused Kneecap of glorifying militant groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah, claims the group denies, stating their intent is to support the Palestinian cause, not endorsing violence. The band has argued that the charges were politically driven attempts to silence their stance on Gaza.

(With inputs from agencies.)