A British judge has thrown out the terrorism case against Kneecap rapper Mo Chara over a technical error in the way the charge was filed. Mo Chara, born Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, was charged with supporting a terrorist organization for allegedly displaying a flag of Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group actively engaged in conflict with Israel since October 2023.

According to the BBC, Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring told the court on Friday that the charge against Mo Chara was “unlawful” and “null,” because it wasn’t brought forth within the six-month statutory time limit. The charge stems from a November 2024 Kneecap concert in London, where audience videos appear to show Mo Chara draped in the Hezbollah flag, chanting “up Hamas, up Hezbollah.” The 27-year-old rapper has claimed that the video has been “deliberately taken out of all context” and is “being exploited and weaponised, as if it were a call to action.”

Mo Chara wasn’t charged until May 22nd, 2025, one day past the six-month statute of limitations for the crime, and Goldspring said the court has “no jurisdiction to try the charge.” Under the U.K.’s Terrorism Act 2000, supporting an organization that the British government has labeled a terrorist group is punishable by up to 14 years in prison. Following the decision to drop the charges, the prosecution stated it was “reviewing the decision of the court carefully,” and that this ruling could be appealed.

“This entire process was never about me, never about any threat to the public, and never about ‘terrorism,’ a word used by your government to discredit people you oppress,” Mo Chara said outside the courthouse, which reportedly erupted with applause following the decision. “It was always about Gaza. About what happens if you dare to speak up. As people from Ireland we know oppression, colonialism, famine, and genocide. We have suffered and still suffer under ‘your empire.’ Your attempts to silence us have failed, because we are right, and you are wrong. We will not be silent. We said we would fight you in your court and we would win. We have. If anyone on this planet is guilty of terrorism, it is the British state.”

While Mo Chara won in court on Friday, Kneecap—which also includes Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí—continues to suffer repercussions from the terrorism charge. Due to the proximity of Friday’s hearing to the band’s planned U.S. tour, the trio was forced to cancel all 15 sold-out shows.

Kneecap had planned to perform its four sold-out dates in Toronto and Vancouver as planned, but earlier this month was barred from entering Canada by parliamentary secretary for combating crime, Vince Gasparro MP. Gasparro accused the group of having “amplified political violence and publicly support for organizations designated as terrorist groups in Canada, such as Hezbollah and Hamas.” The group has promised to pursue legal action against Gasparro. As a consolation to its U.S. fans, Kneecap announced a special one-off livestream concert set for October 10th.

The group has come under fire for provocative performances at festivals around the globe, including an April performance at Coachella in California, where the group displayed messages accusing Israel of genocide and the U.S. of supporting it. Following the group’s set, a video of the November 2024 appearance in London surfaced on social media, and English authorities began their investigation. Organizers for England’s Glastonbury festival were pressured by Prime Minister Keir Starmer to remove Kneecap from the 2025 lineup, but organizers didn’t budge even after the BBC refused to livestream the trio’s performance and only offered it on demand afterward.