jasdooit

A Lebanese pop singer who became an Islamic extremist stated in front of a military court on Thursday that he is not guilty and did not engage in fights with the Lebanese army or support a radical religious leader, according to legal authorities.

Fadel Shaker surrendered to the nation’s military intelligence agency in early October, 12 years after fleeing and taking refuge in the Palestinian refugee camp of Ein el-Hilweh, located near the port city of Sidon.

Shaker appeared for the first time at Beirut’s Military Tribunal on Thursday and was interrogated regarding matters such as financing militant groups, alleged remarks against the military that he reportedly shared with an Arabic-language newspaper, and whether he was involved in the 2013 conflicts in southern Lebanon that resulted in the deaths of 18 soldiers, according to five judicial sources.

During his trial, Shaker stated that he only became associated with the radical Sunni Muslim cleric Ahmad al-Assir following threats from the militant Hezbollah group and supporters of former Syrian President Bashar Assad. Shaker mentioned that his home was set ablaze and his funds were stolen, compelling him to seek refuge in Ein el-Hilweh for his safety, as reported by officials who requested anonymity since they were not permitted to discuss the ongoing trial with the media.

Shaker also mentioned that there were conflicts between him and al-Assir prior to the 2013 fighting in Sidon.

Shaker has been hiding since the violent street confrontations between Sunni Muslim fighters aligned with al-Assir and the Lebanese military in June 2013. He was convicted in his absence and received a 22-year prison sentence in 2020 for aiding a “terrorist organization.”

He is facing trial once more as officials nullified the penalties he had previously been given upon his submission.

Shaker has consistently denied any involvement in the conflicts in Sidon and stated that he has never supported violence.

The 2013 confrontation heightened religious divisions in Lebanon between Sunni and Shia Muslims.

In a YouTube video posted during the clashes, a bearded individual named Shaker labeled his opponents as pigs and dogs, and mocked the military by stating, “we have two dead bodies that we took from you yesterday.” Shaker was referring to two pro-Hezbollah fighters who were killed in the fighting.

Shaker emerged as a pop sensation across the Arab world in 2002 after releasing a chart-topping song. Nearly a decade later, he was influenced by al-Assir and surprised his fans by appearing alongside the strict religious leader at demonstrations. He subsequently announced that he was abandoning his music career to draw nearer to God.

In July, Shaker, together with his son Mohammad, launched a new track that became popular across the Arab world and accumulated more than 166 million views on YouTube.