Fadl Shaker Released on Bail, Issues First Public Statement

Lebanese singer Fadl Shaker has been released on bail by a military court and issued a statement expressing gratitude while asking for time to recover.

• The military court approved Shaker's release on bail, subject to a financial guarantee, and simultaneously imposed a travel ban.
• Shaker said in a statement that "today new lines of freedom were written for me" and asked fans to allow him time to restore his health and check on his family.
• Shaker was transferred to an undisclosed location after leaving prison, following a health deterioration that led to his hospitalization.
• Shaker faces trial over alleged involvement in the 2013 clashes with the army in Abrra; a separate Beirut criminal court acquitted him of attempted murder in 2013 due to insufficient evidence.

Latest developments

• Fellow Lebanese artists and critics have welcomed Fadl Shaker's release, with actor Assaad Rachdan calling it a long-awaited moment of justice and director Caroline Mila expressing confidence in the judiciary.