THE Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has said it will challenge the decision to throw out terrorism charges against Kneecap rapper Liam Og Ó hAnnaidh.

Last month, the terrorism case was dismissed following a technical error in the way the charge against the West Belfast man was brought.

Liam Og Ó hAnnaidh, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, was charged in May with terrorism charges after allegedly displaying a flag in support of proscribed organisation Hezbollah at a gig at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, London, in November 2024. He denied the charge.

At Woolwich Crown Court in London last month, Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring said that the charge against Mr Ó hAnnaidh was "unlawful" and "null".

In his judgement the chief magistrate outlined that permission was not given to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to consent to the prosecution until May 22, a day after Mr Ó hAnnaidh was charged.

"I find that these proceedings were not instituted in the correct form, lacking the necessary DPP and AG (Attorney General) consent within the six-month statutory time limit," he stated.

He said the court had "no jurisdiction to try the charge".

On Tuesday, a CPS spokesperson said: "We are appealing the decision to dismiss this case as we believe there is an important point of law which needs to be clarified."

In a statement the band said news of the CPS appeal decision was "unsurprising because this whole process has not been driven by the police or the courts, it has been driven by politicians backed up by British media".

"This is political policing. There is no 'important point of law'. The CPS have submitted nothing new in their appeal. What there is though, is a state wide witch-hunt against Palestinian solidarity."