A Beirut criminal court has found singer-turned-militant Fadel Chaker and his former associate, the radical cleric Ahmed Al Assir, not guilty of involvement in an attempted murder more than a decade ago.
They were accused of attempting to kill Hilal Hammoud, a rival cleric who was aligned with Hezbollah in the southern Lebanese city of Sidon in 2013. The court, chaired by Judge Bilal Dennaoui, closed the case last Friday after three other men were convicted.
Mr Chaker, who surrendered to authorities last October after 12 years on the run, is facing a parallel case in a military court.
He is being investigated on suspicion of involvement in deadly clashes between supporters of Mr Al Assir and the Lebanese army in Sidon in June 2013. Mr Chaker denies being involved in the clashes and says has never promoted bloodshed. But prosecutors say he was close to Mr Al Assir at the time, before going on the run.
Mr Chaker spent 12 years hiding in the volatile Ain Al Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon. By long-standing convention, Lebanese security forces cannot enter any of the country's 12 official Palestinian camps.
He was tried in absentia in 2020 and sentenced to 22 years in prison by a military court for providing support for a terrorist group.
He handed himself in after reaching a deal in which the sentence would be set aside, for him to be questioned in preparation to stand trial on new charges of crimes against the military.
Mr Chaker was known throughout the region for his smash hit Aash Mn Shafak in 2002. Almost 10 years later, the pop singer came under the influence of Mr Al Assir.
He has remained largely out of the public eye for the past decade but has released music periodically, including several singles last year.
