Libya: Gadhafi’s son, Saif al-Islam, killed in apparent ssassination in Zintan

Saif al-Islam Gadhafi, the son of former Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, has been killed in what his political team described as an assassination at his home in the northwestern city of Zintan,CNNreports. Four masked assailants reportedly stormed Gadhafi’s residence, disabled security cameras, and fatally shot him in what his advisor Abdullah Othman called a “treacherous and cowardly” attack. No official confirmation has yet been issued by Libyan authorities, and the International Criminal Court (ICC), which has long sought Gadhafi’s arrest on charges of crimes against humanity, has not commented.

Born on June 25, 1972, in Tripoli, Saif al-Islam was once viewed as the heir-apparent to his father, who ruled Libya from 1969 until his overthrow and execution during the Arab Spring in 2011. Educated overseas, including at the London School of Economics, Saif al-Islam was considered by some a more progressive figure than his father, though he aligned with the regime’s violent crackdown on protesters during the 2011 uprising. In June 2011, the ICC issued arrest warrants for both Saif al-Islam and Moammar Gadhafi for crimes against humanity.

Saif al-Islam evaded capture for months before being detained in Zintan in November 2011. He remained in custody until June 2017, when he was released under a controversial amnesty law passed by Libya’s House of Representatives. In November 2021, he reemerged politically, registering as a candidate for Libya’s long-delayed presidential election.

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His candidacy polarized the nation, with supporters presenting him as a symbol of stability, while opponents warned he represented authoritarianism and unresolved war crimes. The elections were later postponed indefinitely amid political deadlock. In recent months, Saif al-Islam had reportedly been working on “a proposal for reconciliation” aimed at uniting the fractured country.

Following his death, his team urged the Libyan judiciary, the UN, and international human rights organizations to conduct an independent investigation to identify and prosecute those responsible. Saif al-Islam Gadhafi’s killing marks a dramatic and deadly turn in Libya’s ongoing political turmoil, highlighting the persistent instability and unresolved tensions that continue to shape the nation more than a decade after the fall of his father’s regime.

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