KNEECAP'S Liam O hAnnaidh had an Irish language interpreter present at his second court appearance on Wednesday.
O hAnnaidh, stage name Mo Chara, appeared before Westminster Magistrates Court on Wednesday for the second time, where he is accused of displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah at a gig in November last year.
A judgment on his case – which essentially determines whether or not the charge against him will be thrown out – was reserved, with the next hearing set to take place on September 26.
Under the rules, O hAnnaidh's request could have been denied as an interpreter is only normally provided in criminal cases where a defendant does not understand English.
However, his request was granted for his second hearing on Wednesday, with Susan Folan acting as his interpreter.
She said that she had provided O hAnnaidh with verbatim translation and "occasional clarification".
O hAnnaidh also appears to have been processed on official computer systems under his real name.
During his first appearance, his name was shown on online listings as the anglicised "O Hanna".
However, the listing on Wednesday included a number of special characters, suggesting that the Irish language version of his name was entered into the computer system.
He was joined by fellow bandmates Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh, who sat at the back of the courtroom.
Supporters held signs which read “Free Mo Chara” while others waved Palestine and Irish flags before the rapper’s arrival at court.
Chants of “Free, free, Mo Chara” could also be heard over a megaphone, which was repeated by the crowd.
Brenda Campbell KC told the court the Attorney General had not given permission for the case to be brought against the defendant when police informed him he was to face a terror charge on May 21.
She said consent was given the following day, but that meant the charge falls outside of the six-month time frame in which criminal charges against a defendant can be brought.
Prosecutor Michael Bisgrove said permission was not required until the defendant’s first court appearance and that permission did not need to be sought in order to bring a criminal charge.
Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring adjourned the case until September 26, when he will rule on whether he has the jurisdiction to try the case.
The Metropolitan Police had imposed conditions limiting where the demonstration outside the court could take place, saying they were needed to “prevent serious disruption”.
A man was detained by police outside the court building because of a placard he was holding following the hearing.
Surrounded by officers, he told reporters his hand-made sign made no reference to any proscribed organisations, which includes the banned group Palestine Action.
Following the hearing, O hAnnaidh told supporters the case was a “distraction from the real story” and urged everyone to “continue to speak about Palestine”, adding: “Free Palestine.”
