Cancellation of Travel Ban on Artist Fadel Shaker

The Permanent Military Court in Lebanon, presided over by Brigadier General Wassim Fayyad, approved today, Wednesday, July 15, 2026, the request to cancel the travel ban issued against Lebanese artist Fadel Shaker.

This prominent judicial decision completes a previous step taken by the Military Court last Wednesday, when it ruled to approve the request for Shaker's release pending trial on several cases before it, in exchange for a financial bail, while simultaneously issuing a parallel decision prohibiting him from traveling. Field reports indicated that immediately after his release, Shaker moved to a private residence whose exact location was not disclosed, completely away from the media and the spotlight.

The recent series of judicial decisions came following a noticeable deterioration in Shaker's health condition, and his transfer under tight security to the military hospital after a sudden health crisis that prevented him from attending his scheduled trial session, according to statements from his media office and local media in Beirut. The Lebanese artist is being tried before Military Court Judge Brigadier General Wassim Fayyad, who continues to hold hearings to take witness testimony in the case related to the "Events of the Abra Battle" that erupted in June 2013. He faces charges of joining the armed group of Ahmad al-Assir, which engaged in bloody clashes with Lebanese army personnel.

In a completely separate judicial track, the Beirut Criminal Court had earlier issued a final verdict acquitting Fadel Shaker of the charge of attempting to kill Sheikh Hilal Hammoud in the city of Sidon in 2013, after months of deliberations and detailed hearing of prosecution and defense witnesses. The Criminal Court attributed the acquittal to the lack of conclusive legal evidence, the absence of any of the defendants in the case implicating Shaker, as well as contradictions in the plaintiff's statements and his prior waiver of the lawsuit within the framework of what is legally known as "dismissals".