By Bassem Mroue | Related Press
BEIRUT — A Lebanese pop star turned wished Islamic militant handed himself over to the nation’s navy intelligence service Saturday 12 years after happening the run, judicial and safety officers mentioned.
Fadel Shaker had been on the run for the reason that bloody avenue clashes between Sunni Muslim militants and the Lebanese military in June 2013 within the coastal metropolis of Sidon. He was tried in absentia and sentenced to 22 years in jail in 2020 for offering help to a “terrorist group.”
On Saturday evening, a Lebanese navy intelligence power reached one of many entrances of the Palestinian refugee camp of Ein el-Hilweh close to Sidon and took Shaker, who had been hiding contained in the camp for greater than 12 years, into custody, two safety and two judicial officers mentioned.
The officers, who spoke on situation of anonymity consistent with rules, mentioned the handover got here after coordination between mediators and officers on the Lebanese Protection Ministry.
The officers mentioned that now that Shaker is being held by Lebanese authorities, the sentences that he acquired whereas on the run will likely be dropped and he will likely be questioned in preparation to face trial on new fees of committing crimes in opposition to the navy.
Shaker had denied prior to now enjoying any position within the clashes in Sidon and mentioned he by no means advocated bloodshed.
The 2013 shootout, which pitted followers of hard-line Sunni cleric Sheikh Ahmad al-Assir in opposition to the Lebanese military, killed at the least 18 troopers and deepened sectarian tensions in Lebanon between Sunni and Shiite Muslims.
In a video uploaded to YouTube on the second day of the road combating in Sidon, a bearded Shaker known as his enemies pigs and canine, and taunted the navy, saying “we have two rotting corpses that we snatched from you yesterday” — apparently referring to 2 slain troopers.
Shaker turned a pop star all through the Arab world in 2002 with a smash hit. Virtually 10 years later, he fell beneath the affect of al-Assir and shocked followers by turning up subsequent to the hard-line cleric at rallies and later saying that he was giving up singing to turn into nearer to God.
In July, Shaker, alongside along with his son Mohammed, launched a brand new tune that went viral all through the Arab world and received over 113 million views of YouTube.
Shaker’s handover comes because the Lebanese military started the method to gather weapons from Lebanon’s 12 Palestinian refugee camps which were off-limits to Lebanese authorities.
Initially Printed: October 4, 2025 at 2:58 PM PDT
