Crown Prosecution Service to appeal dismissal of Mo Chara’s terror case

Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, also known as Mo Chara from Belfast based hip hop group Kneecap, was charged with a terror related offence in May. However, the case was subsequently thrown out due to a technical error – something that the Crown Prosecution Service are seeking to appeal.

The artist was charged after he was reported to be displaying a Hezbollah flag whilst also chanting, ‘up Hamas.’ This behaviour was deemed to be inviting, ‘support for a proscribed organisation,’ which is illegal under UK law, as outlined in the Terror Act 2000.

When Metropolitan Police initially charged Mo Chara, they had done so without the permission of the Attorney General nor the Director of Public Prosecutions. By the time the charge was re-sent by Met Police, it had fallen outside of the six-month statutory time limit in which defendants can be charged.

The Crown Prosecution Service has stated their motivations for appealing the case is because, ‘we [CPS] believe there is an important point of law which needs to be clarified.’

Mo Chara remains confident that he is not guilty of the terror related charge he was accused of, telling Virgin Media News: "Even if it had went to court we would have won anyway."