Who was Libya’s Saif al-Islam Gaddafi? | Muammar Gaddafi News
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, Son of Former Libyan Leader, Killed in Zintan
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, has been killed in Zintan, Libya, according to sources close to him. He was 53 years old. His death was confirmed by his political adviser, Abdullah Othman, and his lawyer, Khaled el-Zaydi. The circumstances surrounding his death remain unclear.
Saif al-Islam was the second son of Muammar Gaddafi and had resided in Zintan since 2011. Initially imprisoned, he lived freely after 2017 while attempting to reenter the political sphere. Before the 2011 uprising against his father, he was seen as the heir apparent and a powerful figure in Libya.
Throughout the subsequent civil unrest, he faced numerous allegations of human rights violations, including torture of those opposing his father’s regime. In February 2011, he was placed on a United Nations sanctions list, which prohibited him from traveling.
In June 2011, he publicly stated that his father was willing to hold elections, a statement that NATO dismissed as the bombardment of Libya continued. Following the fall of his father’s regime and his own evasion of capture, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against him for war crimes. He remained elusive until after the deaths of his father and brother Mutassim in October 2011.
After prolonged negotiations with the ICC, Libyan authorities were granted permission to try Saif al-Islam in Libya. Concerns were raised about the fairness of a domestic trial, given the tumultuous nature of the conflict, which the UN estimated resulted in up to 15,000 deaths.
In 2014, he appeared via video link in court while incarcerated in Zintan. In July 2015, the Tripoli court sentenced him to death in absentia. However, he was released in 2017 by a local militia under an amnesty not recognized internationally.
After years of remaining out of public view, he resurfaced in July 2021, where he criticized the current Libyan authorities. His first public appearance in years occurred in November 2021, when he announced his intention to run for the Libyan presidency. Although initially barred from running, he was reinstated; the planned elections did not occur due to ongoing political instability in the country.
Saif al-Islam was internationally educated, earning a doctorate from the London School of Economics in 2008. His dissertation focused on civil society and global governance reform. Despite his attempts to present a progressive image, his legacy is overshadowed by the actions of his family during their rule.
Throughout his career, Saif al-Islam engaged in numerous negotiations on behalf of Libya, including discussions on nuclear disarmament and compensation agreements related to historical terrorist attacks. He also played a key role in mediating issues such as the release of foreign medics accused of infecting Libyan children with HIV.
The implications of his death remain to be seen as Libya continues to grapple with its political future in the aftermath of a decade-long conflict.
