Anti-Israel rap trio Kneecap have brought a defamation suit against a Canadian indigenous leader after he signed a letter objecting to their planned performances at venues on ancestral lands in the country.
Harvey Yesno of the Eabametoong First Nation was a signatory to a statement posted by the Indigenous Embassy Jerusalem, a pro-Israel group for indigenous communities globally.
Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, Naoise Ó Cairealláin and JJ Ó Dochartaigh, known by their respective stage names as Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí, claim that the statement contained false and defamatory claims.
In particular, their suit centres on the allegation that it accused them of expressing support for the Hamas and Hezbollah terror groups and condoning antisemitism, which they deny.
O hAnnaidh was previously charged in the UK with a terror offence after a video which appeared to show him displaying a Hezbollah flag at a gig at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, north London, on November 21 2024, circulated online.
However, that case collapsed last September, with chief magistrate Paul Goldspring ruling the proceedings were “instituted unlawfully” as prosecutors had brought charges outside the required six-month time frame from the date of the alleged offence.
That ruling was later affirmed by the High Court, which rejected an appeal by the Crown Prosecution Service.
On Wednesday, an Irish court granted Kneecap’s legal counsel permission to serve notice of the suit on Yesno, in both Irish and English, in Ontario, Canada.
The group is suing for financial damages, claiming that the statement Yesno signed caused material damage to their reputation after it was widely picked up by media outlets.
Judge Cian Ferriter ruled that the group had an arguable case that they had been defamed in Ireland, allowing them to bring the suit in that jurisdiction, rather than in Canada.
He added that the three men’s reputations, as well as their identity with Irish language and culture, were “bound up” with Irish jurisdiction due to their citizenship and status as Irish public figures.
However, he did state that he was open to a prospective application from Yesno’s legal team to challenge the jurisdictional ruling.
Yesno is yet to publicly comment on the case.
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