Libya(The COW News Digital)Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the prominent son of Libya’s late leader Muammar Gaddafi, has been killed in an apparent assassination at his home in the western Libyan city of Zintan, Libyan media and his political advisers confirmed on Tuesday.
According to statements from his lawyer Khaled al-Zaidi and political adviser Abdullah Othman, the 53-year-old Gaddafi was shot dead by four unidentified gunmen who stormed his residence after disabling security cameras. The attackers reportedly opened fire in the garden of the property before fleeing the scene.
Libya’s Attorney General’s Office has launched an investigation into the killing, but details about the assailants and their motive remain unclear. Local militia groups have denied involvement in the attack.
Saif al-Islam, who had lived most recently in Zintan, was long considered his father’s heir apparent and one of the country’s most recognised political figures since the fall of the Gaddafi regime in 2011. Born in Tripoli in June 1972, he earned a degree from the London School of Economics and was known internationally for his role in negotiating Libya’s rapprochement with Western powers in the early 2000s.
Despite his high profile, Gaddafi’s legacy was deeply controversial. During the 2011 uprising that toppled his father’s four-decade rule, he played a key part in the crackdown on opposition forces, actions that later led to sanctions and charges from the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity.
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Following the collapse of the Gaddafi government, Saif al-Islam was captured by rebel forces and detained in Zintan. He remained in custody for several years before being released in 2017 under a general amnesty. Ever since, he had sought to return to national politics.
In 2021, he announced his candidacy for the long-delayed presidential election, a move that sparked significant debate across Libya. However, his bid was blocked amid legal and political disputes, and the election was subsequently postponed indefinitely.
His killing marks a significant escalation in Libya’s persistent instability more than a decade after the fall of the Gaddafi dynasty. The country continues to grapple with divided governance, rival militias and stalled efforts to hold national elections.
