Libya Opens Case Into Gaddafi’s Son Death

Libya Opens Case Into Gaddafi’s Son Death Libya Opens Case Into Gaddafi’s Son Death
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi was captured in 2011, when this picture was taken, and held in prison until 2017 [File: Ismail Zitouny/Reuters]

Prosecutors in Libya have announced that they are looking into the death of Seif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed in Zintan.

The public prosecutor’s office said forensic experts were sent to Zintan in northwest Libya, where Seif al-Islam was shot dead.

It added that authorities are working to identify suspects.

Advertisement

“The victim died from wounds by gunfire,” the office said in a statement on Wednesday.

Investigators are seeking to “speak to witnesses and anyone who may be able to shed light on the incident,” the office said.

Libya Probes Death of Gaddafi’s Son (
Seif al-Islam Gaddafi. Credit: Southern African Times

Seif al-Islam’s lawyer, Marcel Ceccaldi, told AFP that he was killed by an unidentified “four-man commando” who stormed his house on Tuesday.

Libya remains politically divided between an eastern government backed by Khalifa Haftar and a UN-backed government in Tripoli.

Neither authority has commented on Seif al-Islam’s murder.

The only public reaction came from Moussa al-Kouni, vice-president of the Presidential Council representing the Fezzan region, who wrote on X: “No to political assassinations, no to achieving demands by force, and no to violence as a language or a means of expression.”

A former spokesman for Libya’s late leader, Muammar Gaddafi, Moussa Ibrahim, wrote on X, saying, “They killed him treacherously. He wanted a united, sovereign Libya, safe for all its people. They assassinated hope and a future and planted hatred and resentment.

“The objective is more bloodshed, deeper division in Libya, and the destruction of every project for national unity, in service of foreign interests in the country.”

For many years, Saif al-Islam was considered one of Libya’s most powerful figures and his father’s preferred successor.

Although he never held a prominent government position, Saif al-Islam had considerable unofficial influence, particularly in strategic policy and international relations.

Author

  • Jimisayo Opanuga

    Jimisayo Opanuga is a web writer in the Digital Department at News Central TV, where she covers African and international stories. Her reporting focuses on social issues, health, justice, and the environment, alongside general-interest news. She is passionate about telling stories that inform the public and give voice to underreported communities.

Share the Story
Advertisement