The Lebanese judiciary approved on Wednesday the release of artist Fadel Shaker in four cases brought against him in exchange for a financial bail, according to a judicial source to AFP, nine months after his arrest.

Shaker, born to a Lebanese father and a Palestinian mother, was one of the most famous singers in the Arab world over the past three decades, known for his romantic works and warm voice, until he retired from singing in 2012.

Fadel Shaker's Cases

Shaker is being tried in four separate security cases, for which previous absentee verdicts ranged from five years to 15 years with hard labor.

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A judicial source told AFP on condition of anonymity: "The Permanent Military Court, headed by Brigadier General Wassim Fayyad, approved the release of artist Fadel Shaker in the four security cases against him, most notably what is known as the 'Aabra file'."

Financial Bail

The source added that "the court released Fadel Shaker in three cases against a bail of 100 million Lebanese pounds ($1,100) for each file, and a bail of 200 million Lebanese pounds ($2,200) for a fourth file known as the Aabra file." According to the source, Shaker was expected to leave the prison at the Ministry of Defense on Wednesday after his legal team paid the bail.

In June 2013, clashes erupted between supporters of al-Aseer and the Lebanese army in the town of Aabra near the city of Sidon (south) following an attack on a military checkpoint. The battles resulted in the death of 18 soldiers and 11 gunmen, and ended with the army taking control of a complex that militant Ahmad al-Aseer and his supporters, including Shaker, used as their headquarters.

Balance of Political Power

The latter, whose real name is Fadel Shamandar, went into hiding for more than a decade in the Ain al-Hilweh camp, the largest Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon, until he surrendered to the army on October 5, 2025, in order to close his case, amid a shift in the balance of political power in Lebanon. The files include charges of participating in forming an armed group with intent to undermine security and the state's dignity and financing it, in reference to al-Aseer's group, in addition to involvement in the confrontations against the army in Aabra, and making statements considered offensive to Lebanon's relations with a sister state.

Few Musical Works

Shaker had previously asserted his innocence through his lawyers, confirming that he did not participate in the shooting at the army during the battles that were known at the time as the 'Aabra events'. The Lebanese judiciary acquitted him in May of a case related to an attempt to assassinate a local official. As for al-Aseer, who was arrested by the authorities in 2015 while trying to flee through Beirut airport, a death sentence was issued against him in 2017. 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 achieved hundreds of millions of views.