Court approves conditional release as legal proceedings continue
BEIRUT: Lebanese authorities on Wednesday granted singer Fadel Shaker bail while he awaits a retrial over charges linked to the deadly 2013 clashes in Sidon, according to local media reports.
Judicial officials approved his release after setting bail at 500 million Lebanese pounds. Shaker had spent several months in custody following his surrender last October, ending 12 years in hiding at the Ein el-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon.
The singer faces charges including membership in an armed group, financing militant factions and money laundering. In 2020, a Lebanese court sentenced him in absentia to 22 years in prison over the same case.
Authorities accused Shaker of supporting followers of Sunni cleric Ahmad al-Assir, whose supporters attacked a Lebanese Army checkpoint in the Abra area of Sidon in 2013. The clashes killed 18 Lebanese soldiers and intensified tensions between Assir’s movement, Hezbollah and the Syrian government under Bashar al-Assad.
Shaker denies involvement in violence
Although Shaker acknowledged that he had once maintained a relationship with Assir, he told investigators earlier this year that the two had parted ways before the clashes because of personal disagreements.
He has consistently denied participating in the fighting. However, previous media reports cited a 2013 online video in which Shaker appeared to make remarks about Hezbollah fighters, allegations that remain part of the broader controversy surrounding the case.
Singer thanks supporters after release
Following his release, Shaker posted a message on Instagram expressing gratitude to God and to those who supported him throughout the legal process.
He also requested privacy to focus on his health and spend time with his family before returning to public life.
The retrial is expected to continue as Lebanese courts review the charges and evidence connected to one of the country’s most controversial security cases of the past decade.
