A rapper from the Northern Irish trio Kneecap will go on trial today in London for supporting Hezbollah.

Rapper Liam O'Hanna , known as Mo Chara , of the Northern Irish trio Kneecap , accused of displaying a flag of the pro-Iranian Lebanese Islamist movement Hezbollah at a London concert , appears before a British court on Wednesday for "terrorist offense."

The Northern Irish group has been in the news in recent months for its support for the Palestinian cause . At the end of June this year, Kneecap took the stage at the Glastonbury Festival despite British Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer's calls for it to be removed from the lineup.

"Glastonbury, I'm a free man !" Mo Chara said at the time, after the charges against him had already been filed.

Mo Chara was charged on May 21 with displaying a Hezbollah flag , considered a terrorist group in the United Kingdom, during the group's concert at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, London, on November 21, 2024.

The singer is also credited with shouting " Up with Hamas, up with Hezbollah!" at that concert.

Both Hezbollah and Hamas are banned in the UK, and it is a crime to express support for these armed groups.

The group has always denied any support for Hezbollah, denouncing it as a "political" decision.

" Mo Chara will be returning to Westminster Magistrates' Court as the British government continues to divert attention," the group wrote on its X account on Tuesday, adding that a rally of support had been called shortly before the hearing began.

In mid-June, during an initial appearance in the case, the rapper's lawyers claimed that his accusation had been filed outside the legal six-month deadline, leading to the hearing being postponed until late August.

Mo Chara, wearing a kufiya over his shoulders, only revealed his identity at that first hearing, which was also attended by the other two members of the group, Moglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí.

Prosecutor Michael Bisgrov then asserted that " the case is not about O'Hanna's support for the Palestinian people or her criticism of Israel."

A few weeks ago, the Hungarian government, which is very close to Israel, decided to ban Kneecap from entering the country, which was due to perform at a festival in August.