WATCH | Muammar Gaddafi’s son Saif al-Islam shot dead, say sources

He had been provisionally charged by the ICC for alleged crimes against humanity

Saif al-Islam al-Gaddafi.  Picture: REUTERS/CHRISTIAN CHARISIUS
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi. File photo. (, REUTERS/CHRISTIAN CHARISIUS)

The most prominent son of late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, has been killed, said sources close to the family, his lawyer Khaled el-Zaydi and Libyan media on Tuesday.

The office of Libya’s attorney-general said on Wednesday that investigators and forensic doctors examined the body of Gaddafi on Tuesday and determined that he died from gunshot wounds.

The office added in a statement that it was working to identify suspects and take the steps needed to bring a criminal case.

While Gaddafi is well-known in Libya, especially for his role in shaping policy before 2011, his public profile has receded in recent years.

In 2015 a Libyan court passed a death sentence in absentia on him for suppressing peaceful protests during the country’s 2011 revolution that ended his father’s rule.

He has also been provisionally charged by the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity, a case his lawyers failed to dismiss.

In 2021 Gaddafi registered as a presidential candidate for a December vote that eventually collapsed amid a political deadlock.

Reuters


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