Lebanon's singer Fadl Shaker gets 'cleared' through Al-Assir's testimony

The military court in Lebanon heard testimony from singer Fadl Shaker yesterday, 12 February 2026, in cases related to the so-called "Abra battle" that took place in 2013 in Sidon, southern Lebanon. Shaker was accused of participating alongside Sheikh Ahmed Al-Assir and his followers in attacks against the Lebanese army and killing several soldiers.

The session saw a notable development as al-Assir testified as a witness and faced multiple questions, primarily about which side fired the first shot at the Lebanese army checkpoint.

The court adjourned the hearing until next month, 24 March, to hear two more witnesses.

A legal source following the case told Al Araby al-Jadeed, the Arabic language sister publication of The New Arab, that "the session was positive and favours Fadl Shaker, who repeatedly denied any involvement in the battle, firing at anyone, or joining any armed group."

"Ahmed Al-Assir's testimony, held in a closed session, confirmed that Fadl did not participate in the Abra battle. He was hiding in a room during the fighting before leaving the area, was not part of al-Assir's Free Resistance Brigades, and did not fund any armed group," the source added.

The source noted that "Al-Assir's testimony is important but cannot be taken in isolation, as there are conflicting accounts that may affect the course of the case and the decision regarding Shaker."

"Al-Assir discussed his relationship with Fadl Shaker, the friendship they shared, the later differences of opinion, and that armed men accompanied Shaker because he faced death threats. However, he did not carry or use weapons or participate in any battle," the source said.

Al-Assir also apparently addressed the widely circulated video of Shaker holding a weapon surrounded by men, confirming "it was a satirical clip that was misrepresented."

"Al-Assir emphasised that he did not carry a weapon himself, did not participate in the Abra battle, and did not incite the killing of Lebanese army personnel," the source added, noting there is a move to have Shaker's lawyer request his release.

Shaker had surrendered to an intelligence patrol at the Ain al-Hilweh camp in Sidon in October 2025, restarting investigations into the accusations against him after previous convictions were issued in absentia.

Shaker's lawyer, Amata Mubarak, repeatedly stated that her client did not surrender due to any deal or under threats at the Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp but because he found the timing appropriate under a new presidential term, hoping for a fair trial without political interference.

In June 2013, clashes broke out between al-Assir's supporters and the Lebanese army in Abra near Sidon after an attack on an army checkpoint, killing more than 18 soldiers. The army seized a complex used by al-Assir and his followers, including Shaker.

Al-Assir was arrested in 2015 while attempting to flee via Beirut's Rafik Hariri International Airport and sentenced to death in 2017, despite Lebanon not applying capital punishment.

Shaker faced multiple in absentia convictions in three cases, with sentences ranging from five to 15 years, involving charges of incitement to murder, forming an armed gang with Al-Assir, armed appearance, and resisting army personnel, though he was cleared of some allegations.

The Beirut Criminal Court held a session last Friday, 6 February 2026, for Shaker and al-Assir in a case filed by a "Saraya al-Muqawama" official in Sidon, Hilal Hammoud, accusing them of attempting to kill him in May 2013 in Abra. The hearing was adjourned until 24 April. 

Hammoud testified that a group affiliated with al-Assir attacked and threatened him before firing at him on his balcony, but he escaped with army assistance to Sidon's old quarter.

He also claimed that Shaker incited against him and threatened to burn his house via loudspeaker at Bilal Bin Rabah mosque, which Shaker denied, describing the case as politically motivated given his opposition to Hezbollah and the Assad regime.

Article translated from Arabic by Afrah Almatwari. To read the original, click here.