A UK court threw out a terrorism charge against a Northern Irish singer from the punk rap group Kneecap which had provoked an outcry among their fans.
Cheers erupted from supporters as the judge found there had been a technical error in the case against Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh — who was initially charged under the Anglicised name Liam O'Hanna and whose stage name is Mo Chara — and told him he was "free to go".
O'Hanna, 27, had denied the offence, after being charged in May when a video emerged from a November concert in London, in which he was alleged to have displayed a flag of Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
O'Hanna and his two bandmates had arrived earlier wearing balaclavas in the colours of the Irish flag for the hearing at Woolwich Crown Court in southeast London.
His legal team had challenged whether the charge was filed correctly.
"I find that these proceedings were not instigated in the correct form," chief magistrate Paul Goldspring agreed, adding "consequently the charges are unlawful and null and the court has no jurisdiction".
The band had branded the legal process a "witchhunt".
Since the UK banned Hezbollah as a "terrorist" organisation in 2019, it has been an offence to show support for the group.
O'Hanna said in earlier interviews he did not know what the Hezbollah flag was and that he was part of a sometimes satirical musical act not to be taken at face value.
Kneecap has also said the video that led to the charge was taken out of context.
O'Hanna and his two bandmates arrived wearing balaclavas in the colours of the Irish flag for the court hearing. Source: AP / Joanna Chan
The raucous punk-rap group, who sing in the Irish language as well as English, has also issued a statement saying "they do not, and have never, supported Hamas or Hezbollah".
They have seen their notoriety increase since the start of the legal proceedings, having been banned in Canada and Hungary, with some of their concerts cancelled in Germany and Austria.
The group cancelled all 15 dates of a planned US tour next month because they fell too close to the court case.
Palestine Action arrests
Kneecap has grabbed headlines for statements denouncing Israel's war in Gaza.
The UK legal case comes amid growing controversy over support for organisations that have been banned.
Hundreds have been arrested, mostly at demonstrations, since the Palestine Action group was outlawed in early July under anti-terrorism laws.
The government ban on Palestine Action came into force days after the group took responsibility for a break-in at an air force base in southern England that caused an estimated £7.0 million ($14.32 million) of damage.
The group said its actions were to protest against Britain's military support for Israel during the Gaza war.
Supporting a proscribed group is a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison in the UK.
Daring provocateurs to their fans, dangerous extremists to their detractors, Kneecap was formed in 2017 and is no stranger to controversy.
Its lyrics are filled with references to drugs, members have repeatedly clashed with the UK government and they have vocally opposed British rule in Northern Ireland.
Last year, the group was catapulted to international fame by a semi-fictional film based on them that scooped multiple awards, including at the Sundance festival.
