Libyan prosecutors investigate killing of Gaddafi’s son

2026-02-04 - 13:39

Libyan prosecutors have launched an investigation into the killing of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. According to Libyan authorities, the 53-year-old was killed during a confrontation with four unidentified gunmen who reportedly broke into his home in the city of Zintan, in north-west Libya. “The victim died from gunshot wounds,” the BBC cited the public prosecutor’s office as saying in a statement, adding that efforts are under way to identify those responsible. Forensic teams have been dispatched to Zintan to carry out investigations. However, conflicting accounts have emerged. Saif al-Islam’s sister told Libyan television that he died near the country’s border with Algeria, while his lawyer told AFP news agency that a four-man armed group carried out what he described as an assassination at his home. Saif al-Islam Gaddafi was once seen as his father’s likely successor and remained a controversial political figure after the 2011 uprising that led to the fall and killing of Muammar Gaddafi. He was sentenced to death in absentia by a Tripoli court in 2015 over his alleged role in the violent crackdown on anti-government protests. The International Criminal Court had also sought his arrest on charges of crimes against humanity. He was later released under an amnesty law. Libya has remained deeply divided since the overthrow of the Gaddafi regime, with rival governments and armed groups competing for power. Saif al-Islam announced plans to run for president in 2021, but elections were later postponed indefinitely.