Irish rapper faces terrorism charge for allegedly supporting Hezbollah

Liam O’Hanna, a member of the Belfast-based hip hop group Kneecap, has been formally charged with a terrorism-related offense tied to the alleged public display of support for Hezbollah during a concert in London.

The 27-year-old artist, known by his stage name Mo Chara, is accused of displaying a Hezbollah flag during a performance at the O2 Forum Kentish Town on Nov. 21, 2024. London’s Metropolitan Police say the act raised “reasonable suspicion” that O’Hanna supports the Lebanese group, which is designated as a terrorist organization in the UK.

“Officers from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command were made aware on Tuesday, April 22, of an online video from the event. An investigation was carried out, which led to the Crown Prosecution Service authorizing the above charge,” police said in a statement issued Wednesday.

O’Hanna is scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on June 18.

The development comes amid growing scrutiny of the politically outspoken trio, known for their sharp criticism of British and "Israeli" policies. Earlier this month, UK counter-terrorism authorities launched a separate probe into Kneecap after footage surfaced in which band members allegedly chanted slogans such as “up Hamas, up Hezbollah,” and encouraged violence against British politicians.

The group has denied endorsing either Hamas or Hezbollah. In a prior statement, Kneecap claimed the videos being circulated online had been “deliberately taken out of all context” and were part of a “smear campaign” linked to their vocal opposition to the war in Gaza and US support for "Israel".

One widely shared video from November 2023 appears to show a member of the group saying, “The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP.” The remarks drew backlash, particularly in light of past attacks on British lawmakers, including the killings of Jo Cox and David Amess. Kneecap later issued an apology to the families of both MPs.

The controversy intensified following the group’s appearance at this year’s Coachella music festival, where they led a “Free Free Palestine” chant and sharply criticized both "Israeli" military actions and American involvement in the war on Gaza.

Commenting on the backlash, Kneecap’s manager Daniel Lambert told Irish broadcaster RTÉ, “This has nothing to do with Kneecap… it’s about telling the next young band… that you cannot speak about Palestine.”