Lebanese Palestinian singer Fadl Shaker's ongoing legal saga took a new turn this week, with judicial sources confirming that the charge of "insulting a sisterly country" - the Syrian Assad regime - is now likely to be dismissed given the political changes following the collapse of the Syrian regime in December 2024.
The development comes as Shaker's latest appearance before the military judiciary was postponed, pushing the decisive phase of his case into early 2026.
Shaker appeared before the head of the military court, Brigadier General Wasim Fayyad, on 26 November 2025. At the request of his lawyer, Amata Mubarak, who sought additional time to review the four cases still pending against him, the session was postponed to 3 February 2026.
According to a judicial source speaking to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, it is now “logical” to drop the charges related to making statements deemed offensive to Syria, given the radically altered context since 2024. The source added that investigations have shown no evidence linking Shaker to illegal financial activity, including terrorism funding or money laundering.
The remaining charges include forming an armed group to commit crimes and undermine state authority; interfering in terrorist activities and providing logistical support to the group of Sheikh Ahmad al-Assir; and financing and supporting al-Assir’s organisation. A previous allegation of “inciting sectarian strife” in Syria was dismissed in absentia in 2018.
A crucial session is scheduled for 15 December 2025, when Shaker will appear before Beirut’s Criminal Court. That interrogation will determine whether he faces punishment or is released. Shaker earlier appeared before investigative judge Bilal Dinnawi, who stressed there was no political interference in the proceedings.
The December hearing is expected to define the next phase of the case — including the possibility of full acquittal and dismissal of all outstanding files — following earlier rulings that ranged from acquittal in 2018 to conviction in 2020. Should the court rule in his favour, Mubarak may request Shaker’s release under a residence guarantee, enabling him to return to the military court in February 2026 for the remaining interrogations.
Shaker’s legal troubles trace back to his association with hard-line cleric Sheikh Ahmad al-Assir, whose movement in Sidon shifted from fiery sermons to an armed confrontation with the Lebanese Army in June 2013. During this period, Shaker abandoned his music career, appeared alongside al-Assir at rallies, and publicly declared allegiance to the cleric’s cause. Videos circulated at the time showed Shaker adopting militant rhetoric, a dramatic departure from his previous public persona.
The Sidon clashes erupted when al-Assir’s armed supporters attacked a military checkpoint near the Bilal bin Rabah Mosque, triggering two days of heavy fighting in the Abra neighbourhood. The confrontation left at least 18 Lebanese soldiers and dozens of gunmen dead, marking one of the bloodiest internal security incidents since the end of the civil war.
Shaker was accused of providing support and cover to al-Assir’s group during the clashes, though he repeatedly denied direct involvement in any violence.
In the years that followed, Shaker was charged in absentia with participating in a “terrorist group” and providing material support to al-Assir’s organisation. Lebanese courts issued sentences against him in 2017 and 2020, including a 22-year prison term with hard labour.
Throughout this period, he remained in hiding inside the Ein al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp, protected by armed factions and beyond the reach of state authorities.
Shaker resurfaced in October 2025, when he surrendered to military intelligence after more than a decade on the run.