On October 8, 2025, the ongoing legal saga involving Irish rap group Kneecap and its member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh took another dramatic turn. UK prosecutors, represented by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), announced their intention to appeal a court decision that had thrown out terrorism charges against the Belfast-based rapper. The case, which has become a lightning rod for debates over free expression, political protest, and pro-Palestinian activism in the UK, continues to stir controversy and strong reactions from all sides.
The origins of the case trace back to November 2024, when Ó hAnnaidh—also known on stage as Mo Chara—was accused of displaying a Hezbollah flag and shouting, “up Hamas, up Hezbollah” during a gig in London. Under the UK Terrorism Act, displaying an item in a manner that could arouse reasonable suspicion of support for a proscribed organization is a criminal offense. The charge was brought in May 2025, several months after the incident.
However, in September 2025, Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring, presiding at Woolwich Crown Court, ruled the charge against Ó hAnnaidh “unlawful and null.” The reason? The prosecution had missed the six-month statutory limit for bringing such charges. As a result, the case was dismissed—at least temporarily.
“We are appealing the decision to dismiss this case as we believe there is an important point of law which needs to be clarified,” a spokesperson for the CPS said in a statement, as reported by BBC and other outlets. The CPS maintains that the legal technicality should not prevent the courts from addressing what they see as a significant legal issue related to terrorism legislation and its application.
Kneecap, never shy about voicing their opinions, responded swiftly and with characteristic candor. In a statement titled “A Message to the Police (British) State,” the group called the CPS appeal “unsurprising.” They argued, “News of a CPS appeal against the ruling of their own judge is unsurprising. He ruled the charge was ‘unlawful and null’ and it was. It is unsurprising, because the whole process has not been driven by the police or courts, it has been driven by politicians backed up by the British media. This is political policing.”
The trio went further, describing the appeal as “a massive waste of taxpayers’ money, of police time, of court time.” They accused the authorities of orchestrating a “state-wide witch-hunt against Palestinian solidarity,” adding, “The media were gleefully informed about this appeal before we were.” Their statement also referenced the ongoing conflict in Gaza, noting, “Yesterday, 104 Palestinians were murdered in Gaza and hundreds more maimed as Israel commits genocide… This is aided and supported by the British state. We will fight you in your court again. We will win again.”
Ó hAnnaidh himself, speaking to Virgin Media after the original charge was dropped, called the case a “distraction” and revealed he was considering taking legal action against the British state. “It’s definitely something we’re going to look into,” he said, signaling that the legal wrangling might not be over any time soon.
Kneecap has consistently denied supporting either Hamas or Hezbollah, and has pushed back hard against accusations of anti-Semitism. The band claims that such allegations are “weaponized” by critics to “distract, confuse, and provide cover for genocide.” Their stance is that their activism, particularly at music festivals and public appearances, is focused on opposing Israel’s war in Gaza—not targeting Jewish people.
The broader context of the case cannot be ignored. Since Hamas’ attack on Israeli citizens on October 7, 2023, the conflict in Gaza has intensified, drawing condemnation and concern from international observers. Multiple United Nations human rights experts have stated that Israel’s military actions in Gaza amount to genocide, and the International Court of Justice has found claims of genocide plausible. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification has officially declared a “man-made” famine in the Gaza Strip. Israel, for its part, firmly rejects the genocide accusations, insisting its operations are lawful acts of self-defense.
Amid these global tensions, the Kneecap case has become a focal point for debates within the UK about the boundaries of free speech and protest. Critics argue that authorities are selectively applying anti-terror laws to suppress dissent, particularly pro-Palestinian activism. According to The Guardian and other outlets, the case has “drawn attention to broader UK debates over free expression, political protest, and government responses to pro-Palestinian activism since Israel’s war on Gaza began.”
The political dimension is also hard to miss. Northern Ireland’s First Minister Michelle O’Neill welcomed the dismissal of charges, calling them “an attempt to silence critics of Israel.” Her statement echoes the sentiments of many who view the prosecution as politically motivated, rather than a straightforward application of the law.
For Kneecap, the legal ordeal has already had tangible consequences. The group canceled a planned US tour in August 2025, citing the ongoing proceedings. Yet, they remain defiant. In their most recent statement, the band vowed to “continue to speak truth to power” and insisted that their message “cannot be criminalised through delay or technicality.”
Despite the CPS’s assertion that the appeal is about clarifying an important point of law, Kneecap and their supporters see it as part of a broader pattern of political repression. “There is no ‘important point of law’. The CPS have submitted nothing new in their appeal,” the band declared, underscoring their belief that the case is less about justice and more about silencing dissent.
As of now, the CPS has not disclosed when the appeal will be heard. The case’s outcome could have significant implications for how the UK handles similar cases in the future, particularly those involving political protest and expressions of solidarity with controversial causes. For now, the legal and political battle lines remain sharply drawn, with Kneecap and their supporters preparing for another round in court—and the wider public watching closely.
This high-profile dispute, rooted in a charged intersection of law, politics, and music, shows no sign of quieting down. With both sides digging in, the next chapter promises to be just as contentious as the last.