Saif al Islam Gaddafi killed in western Libya

Libyan sources reported on Tuesday evening that Saif al Islam Gaddafi was killed under mysterious circumstances.

This came in posts on social media platforms by people close to Saif al Islam, including Musa Ibrahim, the former spokesman for the regime of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi (1969-2011).

On his Facebook page, Moussa Ibrahim wrote: “They treacherously killed him and he wanted a united Libya and a safe land for all its people… They assassinated hope and a future, and they sowed hatred and hatred”.

“The goal is to bloodshed more and divide Libya and destroy every project of national unity, in the service of the interests of foreigners in the country,” Ibrahim said.

He added: “I was talking to him two days ago, and he has nothing to talk about except a reassuring Libya and the safe people of Libya”.

He continued: “In the gardens of bliss, O good and honest son of Libya, and may God curse the gangs of treachery and treachery, which belong to the foreigner”.

Abdullah Othman Gaddafi, who is close to Saif al Islam and his cousin, wrote on his Facebook page: “We belong to God and to Him we shall return… The Mujahid Saif al Islam Gaddafi is in the hands of God”.

The Libyan News Agency quoted the 444th Brigade of the Ministry of Defense in the unity government as categorically denying what is being circulated on social media platforms regarding its connection to the clashes that took place in the city of Zintan, and the accompanying news about the death of Saif al Islam.

The Brigade doesn’t have any military force or field deployment within the city of Zintan or within its geographical area, and the general hasn’t been issued any instructions or orders related to the pursuit of Saif al Islam.

Saif al Islam was killed by a “four-member commando squad” at his home in the western Libyan city of Zintan, his French lawyer, Marcel Ceccaldi said.

“As of now, we don’t know the identity of these gunmen… But I learned about 10 days ago from a person close to Saif al Islam Gaddafi that there are problems with his security,” Ceccaldi added.

In this regard, Libyan Prosecutor General Siddiq al Sour announced on Wednesday the start of an investigation into the killing of Saif al Islam and the examination of the body.

The Prosecutor General’s Bureau of Investigations said in a statement: “Following receiving a report of the death of citizen Saif al Islam Muammar Gaddafi, investigators carried out the Attorney General’s decision to provide information”.

“Investigators moved to the scene, conducted an inspection, seized objects, delegated experts, heard witnesses and anyone from whom clarifications about the incident could be obtained,” the statement said.

“The investigation team included forensic doctors and experts who examined the body,” he said.

According to the statement, the initial investigations indicated that “the victim was shot and killed”.

On Tuesday evening, the political team of Saif al Islam, the son of the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, announced that his assassination was carried out by four gunmen who stormed his home in the city of Zintan (200 km southwest of the Libyan capital Tripoli) on Tuesday afternoon.

Since his capture during the armed uprising that toppled his father, Muammar Gaddafi’s regime in 2011, Saif al Islam has lived in the city of Zintan (136 km southwest of the capital, Tripoli), but no one knows his whereabouts publicly until after his release in 2017.

In recent years, Saif al Islam’s name has emerged on the political scene, amid a dispute over his candidacy for presidential elections that Libyans still hope will be held in the country to end its crises.

Two governments are competing in Libya, the first is the Government of National Unity, headed by Abdel Hamid Dbeibeh, which is based in Tripoli (west) and manages the entire west of the country, and the other was appointed by the House of Representatives in early 2022 headed by Osama Hammad, based in Benghazi (east), and manages the east of the country and most of the cities in the south.

Saif al Islam is the son of the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, born on June 5, 1972, and played prominent roles in Libyan public affairs before 2011, as he was an influential leader within the regime and was not given an official government position but led external negotiations and internal issues before the fall of the regime.

His 2015 death sentence was overturned and Libya’s Supreme Court ordered a retrial, after he had been sentenced to death in absentia on charges related to incitement to civil war, genocide, abuse of power, ordering the killing of protesters, damaging public funds, and bringing in mercenaries to suppress protesters in the events of February 17, 2011.