The Lebanese military court today (Wednesday) approved the release of artist Fadl Shaker pending the four cases before it, including the Abra file, after his health deteriorated.

The Abra file is still under study by the judge.

According to local media, the court released Shaker in three cases against a financial bail of 100 million Lebanese pounds per file, and a bail of 200 million pounds for the Abra file.

The file was presented to the government commissioner before the military court, Judge Claude Ghanem, who reviewed it and approved his release in the three cases, while he is still studying the Abra file regarding whether to appeal the decision. Reports indicated that the court simultaneously issued a decision banning Shaker from traveling.

The court's decision, according to local media, came after Shaker's health deteriorated and he was transferred to the military hospital following a health setback he suffered last Tuesday that prevented him from attending his trial session.

Shaker, born to a Lebanese father and a Palestinian mother, is one of the most prominent singers in the Arab world, known for his romantic works and warm voice, until he retired from singing in 2012 after drawing close to hardline Sunni cleric Ahmad al-Assir.

In June 2013, clashes broke out between al-Assir's supporters and the Lebanese army in the town of Abra near the city of Sidon in southern Lebanon, following an attack on a military checkpoint. The battles resulted in the deaths of 18 soldiers and 11 militants, ending with the army taking control of a complex that al-Assir and his supporters, including Shaker, had used as a base.

The latter, whose real name is Fadl Shamandar, went into hiding for over a decade in the Ain al-Hilweh camp, the largest Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon, until he surrendered to the army on October 5, paving the way to close his file amid changing political power balances in Lebanon and the declining political influence of Hezbollah within institutions, including the judiciary, after a war with Israel.

In recent years, Shaker's appearances were limited to media interviews and a few musical works, but months before his surrender, he released new songs that gained wide popularity and garnered hundreds of millions of views.