Court hearing revives old rift linking Fadel Chaker and Ahmad al-Assir

Report by Lara El Hachem, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi  

A joint court appearance by Lebanese singer Fadel Chaker and cleric Ahmad al-Assir has reignited memories of the political and security tensions that preceded the 2013 Abra clashes, revealing a continued personal bond between the two men despite their public claims of disagreement.

During the session before Lebanon's Criminal Court, al-Assir downplayed any rift with Chaker, describing him as a close friend and "a good man," and insisting he holds no grievance against him. 

Al-Assir refused to elaborate on the nature of their past dispute, while Chaker sought to minimize it, saying it stemmed from a minor disagreement between young men assigned to protect them. He said the issue led al-Assir to ask him to leave the vicinity of Bilal bin Rabah Mosque shortly before the Abra fighting in 2013.

The hearing was held to examine a lawsuit filed by the former head of the Resistance Brigades in Sidon, Hilal Hamoud, against Chaker, al-Assir, and others. The case revived the political divisions of that period, when tensions between rival groups in Sidon escalated sharply.

Hamoud told the court that Chaker incited against him using the mosque's loudspeakers, and that a group affiliated with al-Assir attacked his family's home. He said the incident coincided with a speech by Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah marking the anniversary of Israel's withdrawal from South Lebanon.

Chaker denied the accusations, saying he does not know how to use weapons and does not lead an armed group. He said he formed a small security detail solely to protect his home after a villa he lived in was set on fire, and after he received threats and was besieged by armed men he said were affiliated with Hezbollah.

Al-Assir, for his part, rejected claims that the individuals named in the case were linked to him, describing the file as politically motivated. He said that during that period he was targeted by assassination attempts by the Resistance Brigades and that, in the absence of adequate state protection, he decided to organize what he called the Free Resistance Brigades, a move he said he communicated to then-Prime Minister Najib Mikati.

The session effectively reconstructed the political landscape of more than a decade ago, with the defendants insisting they are victims of selective justice. At the same time, their opponents, according to al-Assir's lawyer, have remained beyond the reach of accountability.