Jewish charity is launching private prosecution against rapper Wiley for his anti-Semitic social media rants after being told police are dropping probe because he was abroad at the time
- The Campaign Against Antisemitism are calling for rapper to be stripped of OBE
- Wiley, real name Richard Cowie, 41, posted tweets likening Jews to Ku Klux Klan
- It is not known which country he was in at the time but his mother lives in Cyprus
A Jewish charity is launching a private prosecution against rapper Wiley after being told police will not press charges.
The Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) stated last month that they would prosecute the rapper for inciting racial hatred if the CPS failed to do so.
On Friday, the Metropolitan police confirmed that no case would be brought against Wiley – who’s real name is Richard Cowie – because he was abroad at the time of the offence.
The Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) stated last month that they would prosecute rapper Wiley (pictured) for inciting racial hatred if the CPS failed to do so
In July, the 41-year-old grime artist posted a series of tweets likening Jews to the Ku Klux Klan, and called for black people to ‘go to war’ with Jews.
Stephen Silverman, Director of Investigations and Enforcement at Campaign Against Antisemitism, said that ‘the Metropolitan Police Service had closed its investigation’.
This was due to ‘jurisdictional issues’ and the organisation has ‘instructed lawyers abroad to pursue this matter’.
The CAA protested outside the Twitter headquarters in London before Wiley’s account had been suspended. They have instructed lawyers to pursue this matter abroad
Mr Silverman said: ‘When antisemites incite hatred against Jews, we will pursue them, including across borders if necessary.
‘We will provide further details at a later date.’
The CAA are also calling for Wiley’s OBE to be stripped and are in touch with the Cabinet Office about the matter.
The charity said they are continuing to meet with social media giants Facebook, Twitter, Google and Tik Tok about keeping antisemitism off their platforms.
In July, the 41-year-old grime artist posted a series of tweets likening Jews to the Ku Klux Klan, and called for black people to ‘go to war’ with Jews
It is not known which country Wiley was in at the time but it is known his mother lives in Cyprus.
John Woolf, pictured above, has cut all ties with grime artist Wiley
Under Home Office rules, offences committed abroad must be brought to court under the country’s jurisdiction that the crime was committed in.
As well as Wiley’s direct calls to harm Jewish people, Wiley went on to share various conspiracy theories that have sparked previous terror attacks against Jews.
One is that black people are the real Jews and that Jewish people stole their identity.
Another is that Jewish people were responsible for the slave trade.
Wiley later apologised in a Sky News interview where he said he was sorry for posts ‘that looked anti-Semitic’.
He then went on to continue to make such inflammatory comments, the news channel could not air them.
The rant was apparently sparked after a row with his then manager John Woolf, who is Jewish, and has now cut all ties with Wiley.
Twitter has permanently suspended his account over the posts – including one which called Jewish people ‘cowards and snakes’.