A London court on Friday threw out a terror-related charge against a member of the controversial Irish rap group Kneecap, basing its decision on a technical error in the way the charge was brought forward.

Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, who is also referred to by his anglicized name Liam O’Hanna and performs under the name Mo Chara, had been charged after waving a flag of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which is banned in Britain as a terrorist organization, during a London concert last year.

Chief magistrate Paul Goldspring sitting at Woolwich Crown Court said the case should be thrown out, agreeing with O'Hanna's lawyers that the prosecutors had missed the deadline for the charge by a day.

In an interview in a London pub following the decision, Óg Ó hAnnaidh said his message for the prosecutors is: "better luck next time!"

The Belfast trio, who rap in English and Irish about drugs, working-class life and the reunification of Ireland, has faced criticism for political statements seeming to glorify militant groups including Hamas and Hezbollah. Canada and Hungary have previously banned the group.

Kneecap has accused critics of trying to silence the band because of its support for the Palestinian cause throughout the war in Gaza.

The band says it doesn't support Hezbollah and Hamas, nor condone violence.

Óg Ó hAnnaidh called the case against him a "complete circus" and a "carnival distraction."

He urged the public to focus on the "real issue."

"The story is Gaza and let's make sure we remember that and don't let them distract us too much because Palestinians are running out of time," he said.

Óg Ó hAnnaidh, 27, had claimed the prosecution was a politically motivated effort to silence the band’s support for Palestinians.

Outside court, the rapper told supporters to not be "silent" and that people from Ireland "know oppression, colonialism, famine and genocide.”

While Óg Ó hAnnaidh is happy to use his platform to discuss important issues, he said he doesn't intend to "lecture" the Irish people.

"We've been very good historically on issues like this. So the last thing they need is to listen to a wee head case from West Belfast trying to lecture the Irish people on politics. We're always on the right side of history," he said.

The Crown Prosecution Service said it was “reviewing the decision of the court carefully” and pointed out that it can be appealed.

London's Metropolitan Police said it was working with the prosecutors to “understand the potential implications of this ruling for us and how that might impact on the processing of such cases in the future.”

Kneecap has been the center of controversy in Britain since last year, when the previous government sought to block an arts grant for the band, citing its anti-British politics.

That decision was overturned after the Labour Party won last year’s parliamentary election and Prime Minister Keir Starmer took office.

The group’s members played themselves in the film “Kneecap,” which won an audience award when it was screened at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.

It was shortlisted for best foreign-language film and best original song at this year’s Academy Awards, though it did not make the final cut.