Fadel Chaker’s first military court session postponed after minutes of testimony—the details

Report by Lara El Hachem, English adaptation by Mariella Succar

After nearly three hours of waiting, just over three minutes of testimony were enough to postpone Fadel Chaker’s first session before the military court.

Chaker arrived at the military court from the Ministry of Defense around 9:30 a.m., where he waited for his session in a holding cell until the hearing began at approximately 12:15 p.m.

Dressed in navy pants and a white shirt, similar to Chaker’s attire, his black sunglasses obscured his eyes. Military court President Brigadier General Wassim Fayyad asked him to remove the glasses, but Chaker’s attorney, Amata Mubarak, immediately replied, “These are protective glasses and cannot be removed.”

Mubarak also expressed discomfort with the presence of journalists, despite their small number, and requested that General Fayyad hold the session in private. After some discussion, Fayyad denied the request, advising her to submit a written memorandum justifying the request for the court’s review.

She insisted on the request even before the session began, asking a security officer to prevent journalists from attending. The officer responded that sessions are public under the law.

The law stipulates that a session may be held in private only under specific conditions, including the need to maintain security, which falls under the court’s discretion. Whether Chaker’s public testimony could affect security or public order remains a matter for the court to determine.

Following the denial, Mubarak requested additional time to review the case file. The session was postponed until February 3, 2026. Earlier attempts to move the date to December were denied due to scheduling constraints.

The request for a delay was notable, given that Mubarak has been reviewing the file for months. Observers suggest the delay may allow her to prepare a memorandum that could succeed in moving the sessions out of the public eye, in a high-profile case.

Chaker faces four charges: intervening in the fighting in the Abra conflict, attempting to harm Lebanon’s relations with a friendly state, money laundering to fund terrorist acts, and providing logistical support to terrorist activities.

During the first session, Chaker’s statements were limited to a brief “Good morning,” confirming his mother’s name as Tharwat and that he was born in 1968.