Singer Turned Radical Fighter Fadel Shaker Surrenders to Lebanese Military After a Dozen Years in Hiding
A former pop star who became a wanted radical Islamist fighter has turned himself in to Lebanese military intelligence following over a decade on the run.
Context of the Situation
The singer had been in hiding since violent confrontations erupted in June 2013 in the port city of Saida, involving Sunni Muslim militants against the Lebanese army.
He faced trial in absentia and given to over two decades in jail in 2020 for providing support to a terrorist group.
Handover Process
On Saturday night, a Lebanese military intelligence force arrived at one of the entrances of the Palestinian refugee camp of Ein el-Hilweh near the city and apprehended the fugitive into custody.
Authoritative sources confirmed that Shaker had been taking refuge inside the camp for more than 12 years.
This surrender took place following arrangements between intermediaries and officials at the ministry of defense.
Judicial Consequences
Officials indicated that since Shaker is being held by Lebanese authorities, the verdicts that he received while on the run will be dropped.
He will be questioned in readiness to face court proceedings on new charges of perpetrating crimes against the military.
The Defendant's Previous Denials
During his years as a fugitive, Shaker had rejected claims of playing any role in the Sidon clashes and maintained he did not support bloodshed.
2013 Confrontation
The 2013 shootout, which pitted followers of radical Sunni cleric Ahmad al-Assir against the national military, caused the deaths of at least 18 military personnel and deepened sectarian tensions in Lebanon between Sunni and Shia Muslims.
Through a recording uploaded to the video platform on the following day of the street fighting in Sidon, a bearded Shaker called his enemies as swine and canines and taunted the army.
Professional Evolution
The artist rose to become a celebrity singer across the Arab world in 2002 with a chart-topping song.
Roughly a decade after, he came under the sway of the cleric and shocked fans by showing up alongside the radical preacher at rallies.
Later, he declared that he was abandoning his music career to draw nearer to the divine.
Latest Updates
In July, Shaker, together with his son Mohammed, released a new song that became extremely popular throughout the Arab world and gathered more than 113M watches on YouTube.
Wider Implications
This surrender comes as the Lebanese army began the process of collecting weapons from the nation's dozen Palestinian settlements that have traditionally been off limits to government forces.
