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Saif al-Islam Gaddafi's sister told Libyan media he had died near the Libya-Algeria border
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Agencies
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of Libya’s former leader Col Muammar Gaddafi, has reportedly been shot dead. The death of the 53-year-old, once widely viewed as his father’s heir apparent, was confirmed on Tuesday by the head of his political team, according to the Libyan News Agency.
His lawyer told AFP that a “four-man commando” unit carried out an assassination at his home in the city of Zintan, although it remains unclear who was behind the attack.
However, conflicting reports have emerged, with his sister telling Libyan television that Saif al-Islam died near Libya’s border with Algeria.
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi was long regarded as one of the most influential and controversial figures in Libya after his father, who ruled the country from 1969 until he was overthrown and killed during the 2011 uprising.
Born in 1972, he played a key role in Libya’s rapprochement with the West from 2000 until the collapse of the Gaddafi regime.
Following his father’s ouster, Saif al-Islam—who was accused of playing a central role in the violent repression of anti-government protests—was detained by a rival militia in Zintan, where he spent nearly six years in custody.
The International Criminal Court sought his extradition to stand trial for crimes against humanity over his alleged role in suppressing the 2011 protests.
In 2015, a Tripoli-based court sentenced him to death in absentia for his role in the crackdown, at a time when the western part of the country was under the control of the UN-backed government.
He was later released in 2017 by a militia in eastern Libya under an amnesty law.
Since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi, Libya has remained deeply divided, with various militias controlling different regions and two rival governments competing for power.
During his father’s rule, Saif al-Islam wielded significant influence despite holding no formal government position. He led high-profile negotiations, including those that culminated in Libya abandoning its nuclear weapons programme.
These moves led to the lifting of international sanctions, and some observers viewed him as a reformist figure and the acceptable face of a changing Libya.
Although he repeatedly denied ambitions to inherit power, famously saying leadership was “not a farm to inherit,” Saif al-Islam announced in 2021 that he would run for president. The elections were later postponed indefinitely.
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