Lebanese singer Fadel Chaker surrenders after more than 10 years on the run

Pop star faced charges linked to his alleged involvement in the 2013 Sidon clashes against the Lebanese army

Lebanese singer Fadel Chaker in 2008. Reuters

Fadel Chaker yielded to Lebanon’s military intelligence service on Saturday, after spending more than a decade evading authorities over charges tied to his alleged involvement in the 2013 clashes in Sidon.

The pop star, who recently returned to the limelight with a string of singles, had retired from music in 2012, adopting the name Hajj Chaker and pledging allegiance to Lebanese Sunni firebrand cleric Ahmed al-Assir – a move that led him to take up arms with supporters during the fight against the Lebanese army that left 18 soldiers dead.

In 2020, Chaker was sentenced in absentia to 22 years of hard labour. He remained on the run and was believed to be hiding at the Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp – a self-governed enclave inaccessible to Lebanese police and army due to a reportedly unofficial understanding stemming from the now-annulled 1969 Cairo Agreement between the Lebanese government and the Palestine Liberation Organisation.

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According to a report by AP, Lebanese military intelligence took Chaker from one of the entrances of the camp on Saturday evening. Officials, who spoke to news agency on the condition of anonymity, said Chaker handed himself over after discussions between mediators and representatives from the Lebanese Defense Ministry.

A 2012 photo showing Ahmad al-Aseer, left, and Fadel Chaker during a protest organised against the Syria and Iran governments in Beirut. Reuters

His 22-year sentence will be reportedly dropped and Chaker will now be questioned, preparing to stand trial on new charges. The singer had previously denied participating in the Sidon clashes, insisting that he never supported bloodshed.

His surrender on Saturday comes as the Lebanese army begins to seize weapons from the country’s 12 Palestinian refugee camps, which have long been beyond the reach of the country’s authorities.

Chaker had been largely out of the public eye for the past decade. However, he has made a marked resurgence this year with songs including Ahla Rasma, Elhob W Bass, Hawa Aljnoub, Rouh el Baher and Kifek 3a Fra2e, a duet with his son, Mohamed. The tracks have each amassed millions of views on Chaker’s official YouTube page.

His return to popular music comes after years spent exclusively recording Islamic hymns – a shift that began with 2018 comeback single Shab’an Min Al Tamtheel.

His re-emergence drew mixed reactions. While his comeback single, Shab’an Min Al Tamtheel, went regionally viral, the public backlash prompted Egyptian production company AG Group to remove the song from the television drama, Ladina Aqwal Okhra.

This year’s documentary series Ya Ghayeb … Fadel Chaker – featuring a sit-down interview in which the singer tells his side of the story – was also met with ambivalent critical reception, with some critics accusing it of downplaying the crimes he stands convicted of.

Chaker’s appeal, however, is undeniable, especially given the soaring numbers of his recent singles. Depending on how his legal status resolves, the singer’s career may a more official comeback, with co-ordinated promotional efforts and supporting concerts that will put him back into the mainstream.