Lebanese Court Acquits Fadel Shaker in Attempted Murder Case Involving Hilal Hammoud

A Lebanese court acquitted singer-turned-militant Fadel Shaker of attempted murder charges involving Hilal Hammoud, an official with the Hezbollah-allied Lebanese Resistance Brigades, after Shaker surrendered to police. The acquittal came in a Beirut Criminal Court case tied to allegations that Shaker and Sheikh Ahmad al-Assir took part in an attempted murder, with the judicial official telling AFP the defendants were acquitted due to “insufficient evidence.” Reuters reported that Shaker was acquitted in the attempted murder case after the star surrendered to police following more than a decade in hiding in a Palestinian refugee camp. The same AFP account said Shaker was accused of taking part in 2013 clashes in Sidon between the military and supporters of Salafist Sheikh Ahmad Al-Assir, which left 18 soldiers dead.

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Al-Nahar

Even with the acquittal issued by the Beirut Criminal Court, multiple reports said Shaker’s release would not necessarily follow because other files remain pending before the military judiciary. A Lebanon 24 correspondent cited in سفير الشمال said the acquittal “does not pave the way for his release” due to continued unresolved cases within the military court’s jurisdiction. Another report in جريدة الدستور said the release orders would stand “should there be no other cases or files pending against them,” while also stressing that a separate case before the Lebanese Military Court remains open. That military case involves charges tied to supporting and financing Ahmed al-Aseer’s group and alleged involvement in the Abra clashes, and the sources say Shaker continues to deny all charges.

The sources also tie Shaker’s legal timeline to additional hearings after the attempted murder ruling, including a military court session referenced for April 26. وكالة صدى نيوز said Shaker’s release tomorrow does not mean his permanent exit from prison because “there is another session awaiting him before the military court on April 26.” It further described that the Abra events case relates to June 2013 clashes between the Lebanese army and armed individuals affiliated with Sheikh Ahmad al-Assir, following an attack on an army checkpoint. In parallel, the AFP-linked account said Shaker is due to appear on May 26 before a military court in four other cases, including participating in the formation of an armed group, while noting that courts had previously convicted him in absentia and imposed sentences ranging from five to 15 years of hard labor.

“Acquittal of Fadl Shaker in the case of the attempted assassination of a Saraya al-Muqawama official in Sidon”

Al-Jarida Al-Dustour