The Welsh Conservatives have renewed calls for Green Man Festival to remove Belfast rap group Kneecap from its line-up after a member of the trio was charged with a terror offence.

Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, 27, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, has been charged following an incident at a London gig last November. It is alleged he displayed a flag supporting the proscribed organisation Hezbollah during a performance at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town.

Officers from the Metropolitan Police’s counter-terrorism unit began investigating after a video of the event circulated online in April. Mr Ó hAnnaidh, from Belfast, is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on June 18.

In a statement posted on social media, Kneecap said the charge was politically motivated and that they would “vehemently defend” themselves.

“This is political policing,” they wrote. “This is a carnival of distraction… Once again the British establishment is focused on us.”

The group’s inclusion in the Green Man line-up has faced growing political criticism in Wales, particularly from the Welsh Conservatives. The party’s leader, Darren Millar MS, said the festival's continued silence on the matter was “completely unacceptable”.

“This is a group that has openly called for the killing of MPs, and now one of its members faces serious terror-related charges linked to a proscribed organisation,” he said.

Mr Millar also pointed to the festival’s decision in 2019 to drop veteran Welsh-language artist Meic Stevens, following public criticism over a comment he made about Muslims while performing at a separate event. The festival confirmed shortly afterwards that Stevens would not be appearing at Green Man.

“Green Man must be consistent in its values and withdraw Kneecap from the programme immediately. Anything less undermines the festival’s credibility and risks endorsing extremism,” said Mr Millar.

He accused organisers of “turning a blind eye in this far more serious case.”

In April, Shadow Culture Secretary Gareth Davies MS wrote to the festival’s managing director Fiona Stewart, calling for Kneecap’s removal after footage from a 2023 gig appeared to show a band member saying: “The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP.”

Another clip, also under police review, appeared to show one of the performers shouting “up Hamas, up Hezbollah” during a live set.

Kneecap have previously denied all allegations of inciting violence or supporting terrorist organisations. They said the videos had been “deliberately taken out of all context” and offered apologies to the families of murdered MPs Jo Cox and Sir David Amess, saying they “never intended to cause hurt”.

The Welsh Government last month weighed in, telling the Brecon & Radnor Express that Green Man “should consider” whether it is appropriate for the group to perform, though it clarified any public funding for the event would have come via an arms-length body.

Festival organisers have been contacted for comment. They did not respond to previous requests for comment about the original allegations against Kneecap.

Green Man is Wales’ largest music festival and is scheduled to take place from August 14 to 17 this year at Glanusk Estate, near Crickhowell.