Fadl Shaker holding the Syrian flag, (Photo: AFP)
Benefiting from the lifting of his travel ban, which had been imposed when he was released from prison on July 8, Lebanese-Palestinian crooner Fadl Shaker is said to have moved to Doha, Qatar, according to regional media reports.
After twelve years on the run, Fadl Shaker, who was wanted in several cases related to the deadly 2013 clashes between supporters of Salafist preacher Ahmad al-Assir and the Lebanese army, turned himself in to authorities in 2025. He was then incarcerated for nine months.
According to the Saudi daily Okaz, Fadl Shaker left Lebanon on Tuesday, July 21, aboard a private jet bound for Qatar. He reportedly made the trip with his son Mohammad Shaker, who is also a singer, and his daughter Rana.
Press reports indicate that the singer is expected to receive medical treatment for his diabetes in Qatar. In a message posted on X after his release, Fadl Chaker mentioned health problems. Several of his court hearings were also postponed for medical reasons before his release from prison.
The singer had promised his fans a "soon" return to the stage, a prospect also brought up by his son Mohammad during a festival in Tripoli. According to the daily al-Quds al-Arabi, a concert could be held in September in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. However, there has been no official confirmation of this event.
According to The New Arab, Fadl Shaker's departure was facilitated by Qatar’s ambassador to Beirut, Saud bin Abderrahman Al-Thani. This information, along with the swift lifting of the travel ban after its imposition, has fueled questions about possible pressure on the Lebanese judiciary to allow his departure.
Contacted by L’Orient-Le Jour, a judicial source declined to comment on these accusations.
Upon his release, Fadl Shaker retrieved his passport on the condition that he appear at all future court hearings in cases still pending before the Military Tribunal. The next hearing, originally set for Aug. 5, has been postponed to September, according to the same judicial source.
The singer is being prosecuted in four separate cases linked to the 2013 clashes between fighters affiliated with Ahmad al-Assir and the Lebanese Army in Saida, southern Lebanon. The fighting claimed the lives of 18 soldiers. After the clashes, Fadl Shaker took refuge for nearly twelve years in the Palestinian camp of Ain al-Hilweh, near Saida, outside the control of Lebanese authorities.
Before surrendering, Shaker tried to revive his music career by releasing several songs and a documentary about his own version of the 2013 events. This comeback provoked mixed reactions: some welcomed it, while others strongly opposed it.
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