Kneecap to Sue Indigenous Leader for Defamation After Being Denied Entry Into Canada

Kneecap are reportedly filing another defamation lawsuit after being denied entry into Canada.

Today (July 13), the Irish trio's counsel Tom Hogan was granted permission by the high court of Dublin to serve papers for a defamation lawsuit to Harvey Yesno, an Indigenous leader of the Eabametoong First Nation in Canada.

Last year, the group was blocked from entering Canada after Yesno and several other Indigenous leaders signed a statement published by Indigenous Embassy Jerusalem, in partnership with Allied Voices for Israel and the Canadian Antisemitism Education Foundation, which denounced the group for their "history of promoting violence, intimidation and discrimination."

"Kneecap has outwardly supported antisemitism, genocide, and the indiscriminate murder of civilians. Allowing them to play in Canada would be a stain on our country’s reputation," read the statement, which urged that Live Nation cancel the group's shows in Oct. 2025 at Toronto's History (Oct. 14-15) and Vancouver's Vogue Theatre (Oct. 22-23).

Kneecap are suing for damages, claiming the statement harmed their reputations as professional artists and public figures after being picked up, spread and republished by various media outlets, as reported by the Irish Times.

Later, Liberal MP Vince Gasparro, who the group is already suing for defamation, announced on behalf of the federal government that the group was deemed ineligible to enter the country, explaining in a video posted to X that the band "have amplified political violence and publicly displayed support for terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah and Hamas.” The group responded, calling his remarks "wholly untrue and deeply malicious" and adding that they had received no formal notice about any official ban.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) contradicted Gasparro’s claim by revealing that only Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, who performs as Mo Charra, was barred from Canada for “inadmissibility for omitting to disclose complete and accurate information on his application.” Fellow members James John O Dochartaigh and Naoise O Caireallain, known as DJ Próvai and Móglaí Bap, were not banned, but simply "under review” and informed by the IRCC not to travel to Canada until receiving further communication.

The new lawsuit against Yesno was approved in Ireland as the group had an arguable case that they had been defamed in their home country, with their personal and professional relationships "bound up" in the jurisdiction.

The hip-hop trio has been subject to controversy for their onstage political acts in support of Palestine, many of which have landed them in legal trouble. In 2025, Mo Chara faced a terror charge in the U.K. after waving a Hezbollah flag during a 2024 concert in London, which was eventually tossed out by the British court. The same year, they displayed a “F-- Israel, Free Palestine” message during their set at Coachella in 2025, which led their U.S. booking agent to cut ties. Following that performance, the band released a statement vocally denying their alleged support of Hamas and Hezbollah.

"Let us be unequivocal: we do not, and have never, supported Hamas or Hezbollah. We condemn all attacks on civilians, always. It is never okay," the band said via Instagram last year.