Lebanese singer Fadel Shaker is set to appear before the military court next Tuesday to face trial in four separate security cases, “belonging to an armed group, financing the group, possessing unlicensed weapons, and undermining state authority and prestige,” sources familiar with the matter told Asharq Al-Awsat.
The sources said the head of the military court, Brig. Gen. Wassim Fayyad, “allocated Tuesday for questioning Shaker, without placing any other cases on the agenda, given the lengthy time his interrogation is expected to take.”
Security measures will be tight, the sources added, with the Lebanese army deployed around and inside the military court.
The trial will be attended by Shaker, his defense team, and a representative of the military public prosecutor. It is not yet clear whether the court will allow media coverage, with attendance possibly limited to journalists accredited to the military court.
The session is seen as a practical test for Shaker and his legal team in preparing for the trial and challenging the charges.
The sources noted that “during the first session, the court presidency will question Shaker and confront him with the evidence underlying previous absentia rulings. The military public prosecutor will also pose questions, reinforcing the seriousness of the case built against Shaker since 2013, following the Abra clashes between the Lebanese army and supporters of Sheikh Ahmed Al-Assir.”
Shaker voluntarily surrendered to Lebanese army intelligence at the entrance of Ain al-Hilweh camp on October 4, after spending more than 12 years there. At the time, he described the surrender as a judicial settlement to close his cases, though delays in scheduling the military court trial have fueled doubts.
Meanwhile, Shaker’s defense lawyers have prepared thoroughly for the session. A source close to the defense told Asharq Al-Awsat that the team “insists on proceeding with the trial without interruption or delay.”
The source said, “There is no legal justification for postponement. Shaker is the sole defendant, and with his lawyers and the military public prosecutor present, the case is complete and questioning must begin. Any delay would be unjustified.”
The source added that after Shaker’s interrogation, the court is expected to summon numerous witnesses, including Ahmed Al-Asir and others involved in the Abra events, particularly those with close knowledge of Shaker and his relationship with Al-Asir at the time.
Second Trial Scheduled
Shaker is also due to face a second trial in mid-December before the Beirut Criminal Court, presided over by Judge Bilal Dannaoui. The case, filed by Hilal Hammoud, a leader of the “Saraya al-Muqawama” group in Sidon, accuses Shaker, Al-Assir, and others of inciting his attempted killing.
The court president has already conducted a preliminary questioning of Shaker in preparation for the mid-December session.
The first military court session is expected to offer insights into the direction of the case, based on Shaker’s defense of his innocence and the position of the military public prosecutor.
It will also serve as a test of the Lebanese military judiciary’s ability to handle sensitive cases impartially, amid lingering questions over the harsh absentia sentences previously issued against Shaker.
