Kneecap say plan to appeal Mo Chara terror case is "without sound legal basis”

The UK government is planning to appeal the legal rule that led to a terror charge against Kneecap member Mo Chara being thrown out of court in September after the Crown Prosecution Service said it believed there is "an important point of law which needs to be clarified".

In a statement shared on Instagram on Thursday, January 1, the Belfast trio said they were issued notice by the government about the decision, saying it plans to "appeal the decision of their own magistrates court”.

It relates to a terrorism charge that was stacked against Mo Chara, real name Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, in May 2025, which alleged that the rapper flew a flag in support of Hezbollah - a banned terrorist organisation in the UK - during a London performance in November 2024.

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Kneecap denied accusations, accusing the Metropolitan Police of “political policing”. They said at the time: “This is a carnival of distraction. We are not the story. Genocide is.”

The charge was thrown out by Woolwich Crown Court due to a technical error in September 2025 after Ó hAnnaidh’s defence argued that it was brought a day after the six-month limit.

After noting the government's apparent plans to appeal, the group wrote in a statement: “It is the view of our legal team that there is not an iota of logic for this, it is without any sound legal basis.”

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“It is another flailing arm to distract from, and to try and silence those who stand on the right side of history as they are complicit,” they argued, adding: “We will not be silent.”

“As Israel today moves to ban charitable organisations providing lifesaving aid and primitive shelter to millions, the British state once again turns to vilify those who oppose genocide.”

The appeal will be heard on Wednesday, January 14, at the Royal Courts of Justice in London. Read Kneecap's statement below.

Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Associate Digital Editor, follow her on Twitter