Belfast musician Mo Chara, whose real name is Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, is accused of displaying Hezbollah flag at gig
The criminal case against the Kneecap rapper Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh should be thrown out, a court has heard.
Ó hAnnaidh, who performs with the band under the stage name Mo Chara, will have to wait until 26 September, when the chief magistrate, Paul Goldspring, will rule on whether he has the jurisdiction to try the case.
The Belfast musician was greeted by hundreds of supporters as he arrived at Westminster magistrates court on Wednesday for a three-hour hearing.
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During the hearing on Wednesday, his defence team argued the case should be thrown out, citing a technical error in the way the charge against him was brought.
Brenda Campbell KC told the court the attorney general had not given permission for the case to be brought against the defendant when police informed him he was to face a terror charge on 21 May. She said consent was given the following day, but that meant the charge fell outside the six-month timeframe in which criminal charges against a defendant can be brought.
The prosecutor Michael Bisgrove said permission was not required until the defendant’s first court appearance and that permission did not need to be sought in order to bring a criminal charge.
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dizzy: I can anticipate Mo Chara appealing if it comes to that. It’s almost as ridiculous as people charged under terrorism laws for holding a placard! It’s widely accepted that it’ s the UK government that needs to be charged and prosecuted for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
