Lebanese Court Acquits Fadel Shaker of Attempted Murder Charge

Beirut — A Lebanese court acquitted singer-turned-militant Fadel Shaker of attempted murder on Wednesday, citing insufficient evidence, a judicial official said, in a case linked to deadly clashes in southern Lebanon more than a decade ago.

Shaker, a Lebanese-Palestinian performer who surrendered to authorities in October after years in hiding, had been accused alongside others of attempting to kill Hilal Hammoud, an official affiliated with the Hezbollah-linked Lebanese Resistance Brigades.

The charges stemmed from violence in the city of Sidon in 2013, when clashes between the Lebanese army and supporters of Salafist cleric Ahmad Al-Assir left 18 soldiers dead. While Shaker was known to support Assir, he has consistently denied taking part in the fighting.

The court’s decision cleared Shaker and his co-accused of the attempted murder charge, with the judicial official confirming the acquittal was based on a lack of sufficient evidence.

Despite the ruling, Shaker remains in custody and is scheduled to appear before a military court on May 26 in connection with four other cases, including allegations of involvement in forming an armed group.

During his time in hiding, much of it spent in a Palestinian refugee camp, Shaker was convicted in absentia in multiple cases and handed sentences ranging from five to 15 years of hard labor.

In the months prior to his surrender, he released new music recorded during his time on the run, which gained popularity across the Arab world.Ahmad Al-Assir, arrested in 2015 while attempting to flee Lebanon, was sentenced to death in 2017, later commuted to 20 years of hard labor in 2021.