Starmer declares views of Irish rap trio "completely intolerable"
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has responded to the rejection by a UK court from holding Liam Og OhAnnaidh, Kneecap's lead rapper and former IRA associate on terrorism charges. The government lost its appeal against an earlier decision not to proceed with terror proceedings for one member of the Irish-language rap trio following High Court rulings in January that deemed there was insufficient evidence regarding his involvement as a "ringleader.
Key Points
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1Irish hip-hop group Knecep has launched a rebuttal against Prime Minister Keir Starmer following his statement that their views are "completely intolerable".
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2The High Court recently ruled to reject the Crown Prosecution Service's appeal, meaning one member of the trio will not face another terror trial as originally planned.
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3Starmer indicated he would have CPS examine this court judgment very carefully before deciding on future legal action against Kneecap members.
Developments
Perspectives
Kneecap has responded to Keir Starmer by stating that what they stand for is completely intolerable following a court ruling.
— (Ziknation)Keir Starmer declared the views and statements of Irish language rap group Kneecap as 'completely intolerable' after losing an appeal against not holding terror trials on them. The Prime Minister indicated that he would be looking at this judgment very carefully.
— (Breakingnews.ie)The High Court ruled to reject the Crown Prosecution Service's (CPS) request for a new trial, meaning Kneecap members will face no additional terror charges based on their views and statements. The CPS had appealed against an earlier decision at January.
— (Independent.co.uk)Kneecap rapper Liam Og OhAnnaidh stated he would not be silent after the judges decided that a new trial was rejected, highlighting his opposition to both the court's ruling on terror charges and Starmer's comments about their views being intolerable.
— (Independent.co.uk)The Irish band KNEECAP has criticized Prime Minister Keir Starmer after a High Court dismissed an appeal against terror charges brought by his government regarding alleged Hezbollah flag displays. The court ruled the original charge unlawful based on technicalities, though CPS officials have stated they will carefully review this decision following their failed January 12th attempt to overturn it in March 2026 (note: text dates suggest a future scenario).
Two High Court judges upheld an earlier ruling that dismissed Crown Prosecution Service charges against Kneecap rapper Liam Og O hAnnaidh, citing a procedural error regarding Attorney General permission for terror offenses under six-month time limits. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described the group's ideology as "completely intolerable" but acknowledged he would be closely monitoring how this legal decision impacts future proceedings involving them and their members.