Liam O’Hanna Charged with Terrorism-Related Offense

Liam O’Hanna, a member of the Irish Rap group Trioty Cup, has faced charges related to a terrorism offense for allegedly displaying a Hezbollah flag during a performance in London, according to police sources.

The 27-year-old from Belfast is set to appear in Westminster Magistrates Court on June 18, following an investigation led by the Metropolitan Police Counter-Terrorism Command.

O’Hanna, known as Mo Chara, reportedly exhibited the flag on November 21 of last year at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, north of London. This action raised reasonable suspicion about his support for a banned organization.

The police revealed, “An officer from the Met counter-terrorism unit recognized a video of this event on April 22. An investigation ensued, which prompted the Crown Prosecutor’s Office to approve the charges.”

Earlier this month, the Met also indicated that the band Kneecap was under scrutiny from counter-terrorism officials.

The Counterterrorism Internet Referral Unit (CTIRU) operates under the Metropolitan Police, tasked with identifying online extremist and terrorist content.

Both Hamas and Hezbollah are prohibited in the UK, and showing support for them is considered illegal.

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police noted that, “We identified the video on April 22, believed to be from the November 2024 event, and referred it for assessment to the counter-terrorism internet unit to determine if a police investigation was warranted.”

They also mentioned being aware of another video from the November 2023 event.

Kneecap has maintained that they do not support Hamas or Hezbollah, issuing apologies to families of lawmakers killed last month. However, they asserted that the footage was misrepresented and taken out of context.

Since the incident came to light, several concerts featuring Kneecap have been canceled.