The singer and former Salafist Fadl Chaker at a political rally in Beirut, in 2012. AFP archive photo
BEIRUT — Famous Lebanese singer-turned-Salafist Fadl Shaker, who had been sentenced in absentia to 22 years in prison in 2020, was questioned on Wednesday at the Beirut Palace of Justice by the president of the criminal court, Judge Bilal Dennaoui, according to a judicial source cited by L’Orient-Le Jour.
This interrogation precedes a public hearing scheduled for Dec. 15, during which other fugitives may also be summoned. As per legal procedures, the judge has the authority to summon a defendant before a public session. This was the first time Shaker was heard, as he had been on the run and absent from all previous court sessions, which had led to a default judgment against him.
The session lasted about 30 minutes, during which the judge read Shaker the formal indictment to allow him to prepare his defense.
Shaker’s court appearance follows his voluntary surrender to Lebanese army intelligence on Oct. 5, near the Palestinian refugee camp of Ain al-Hilweh (South Lebanon), where he had been hiding for several years. His surrender reportedly came after mounting pressure and threats within the camp, particularly due to his attempt to return to the music scene, including the release of a new album.
The case dates back to 2013, when radical preacher Ahmad al-Assir and armed Salafists clashed with the Lebanese army in Abra, near Saida, resulting in 29 deaths (18 soldiers and 11 militants).
Assir has been sentenced to death, while Shaker was convicted in 2020 for providing weapons and support to the cleric.
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