Lebanese judiciary acquits Fadel Shaker of attempted assassination charge

The Lebanese judiciary acquitted artist Fadel Shaker of the charge of attempting to assassinate the head of the "Resistance Brigades" in Saida, Hilal Hammoud, in a case dating back to 2013, after the court heard the testimony of witnesses for proof and denial, before concluding that there was insufficient legal evidence to prove Shaker's involvement in the incident.

The court considered that the case file contains a clear contradiction in the statements of the plaintiff who waived the lawsuit years ago, noting that none of the other defendants, including Ahmed al-Asir, made any confession linking Fadl Shaker to the assassination attempt.

Prosecutions continue in other cases

Fadl Shaker is still being prosecuted by the Lebanese military court in other cases, where a new session is expected to be held on May 26, 2026, to consider these charges, amid expectations that the proceedings will continue for an additional period due to the size and complexity of the file, according to Lebanese newspapers.

Mohamed Fadl Shaker, the artist's son, expressed his thanks to everyone who supported the family over the past years, stressing that the decision marks the end of a difficult judicial phase that lasted for more than 10 years.

Fadl Shaker from Art to Terrorism

With the outbreak of clashes between the Lebanese army and the prisoner's group in June 2013, Shaker's name was placed on the wanted list on charges related to terrorism and belonging to an armed group.

Fadl Shaker faced a series of charges before the military court, most notably belonging to an armed group with the intention of carrying out terrorist acts, interfering in terrorist acts by financing and arming Ahmed al-Asir's group, participating in the fighting against the Lebanese army, forming an armed gang, possessing military weapons without a license, inciting sectarian strife and defaming official institutions through recorded statements.

Shaker was sentenced to 15 years in prison with hard labor for interfering in terrorist acts, in addition to 5 years for sectarian incitement, defamation, and possession of weapons, and these sentences remained in effect until he surrendered in 2025, which allowed him to be retried in person according to legal procedures.