Sunday 23/November/2025 – 06:09 AM
Judicial developments continued in Lebanon regarding the Lebanese artist Fadel Shaker, as the Lebanese News Agency announced that the military court will begin next Tuesday to consider four cases filed against him. These cases include accusations of belonging to an armed organization, financing the Sheikh Ahmed Al-Asir group, possession of unlicensed weapons, and undermining the authority and prestige of the state.
Fadel Shaker cases
Fadel Shaker had surrendered himself to the Lebanese army at the beginning of last October, after spending more than a decade hiding inside a Palestinian refugee camp. During this period, prison sentences were issued against him in connection with terrorism-related cases.
Judicial sources revealed that the recent investigations with Fadel Shaker witnessed important developments, after he was summoned to listen to his statements regarding a group of videos circulating on social media sites, which are believed to contain threats to the Lebanese army. The source explained that Fadel Shaker said during the investigation that these videos were old, dating back to the period before the Battle of Abra, and were not related to the new accusations, stressing that he was defending himself and his family after he was exposed to attacks in the city of Sidon, which included destroying his restaurant and burning his house.
Sources close to the artist reported that the indictment body in Lebanon recommended dropping a number of charges against him, as the charge of insulting a sister country and the charge of money laundering and financing terrorist groups were dropped. This decision came after an extensive study of the case files, including the financial transactions and available physical evidence.
Regarding the charge of insulting a sister country, the indictment body considered that this charge no longer exists legally, based on the Syrian regime not enjoying full international legitimacy, and that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is considered a fugitive from justice according to memorandums and positions issued by international bodies. The charges of financing terrorist groups and money laundering were dropped due to insufficient evidence, as investigations did not reveal any financial transactions proving the use of funds in prohibited activities.
This decision is an important step in the process of cases that Fadel Shaker has faced for years, after a series of rulings and judicial reviews that included the years of his withdrawal from the artistic community and his accusation of complex security issues. However, the Lebanese artist is still awaiting the final ruling from the Lebanese military judiciary in the same cases being tried against him, after the indictment body issued its recommendations to drop some of the basic charges.
A close source indicated that Fadel Shaker hopes that the final decision will be fair, put an end to the long legal troubles that have accompanied him over the past years, and open the way for him to return to artistic and public life normally.
