"A London court has thrown out a terror charge against a member of the Irish rap group Kneecap. Chief magistrate Paul Goldspring said on Friday the case against Liam Og O hAnnaidh should be thrown out due to a technical error in the way the charge against the Belfast-based rapper was brought. The case has become highly charged with critics citing it as an illustration of a clampdown on free speech."
"Goldspring ruled that O hAnnaidh, 27 initially charged under the Anglicised name Liam O'Hanna and who performs under the stage name Mo Chara had been charged after the six-month limit to bring such a charge, which can only be dealt with by the magistrates' court. The charge is unlawful and null and this court has no jurisdiction to try the charge, the judge said."
Chief magistrate Paul Goldspring dismissed the terror charge against Liam Og O hAnnaidh because the charge was brought after the six-month limit, leaving the magistrates' court without jurisdiction. O hAnnaidh, who performs as Mo Chara, was charged in May over a November 2024 incident when a Hezbollah flag was displayed during a London concert. The United Kingdom banned Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation in 2019, making public support an offence. O hAnnaidh denied the allegation, saying the flag was thrown on stage, and the band characterised the prosecution as a witchhunt. The Metropolitan Police will consult the CPS on implications.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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