Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of Libya’s former leader Muammar Gaddafi, has been killed in the northwestern city of Zintan, family members and associates have confirmed. He was 53.
The killing, which occurred on Tuesday, has renewed attention on Libya’s fragile security situation and its unresolved political crisis more than a decade after the fall of the Gaddafi regime.
What Transpired in Zintan?
According to Saif al-Islam’s adviser, Abdallah Othman Abdurrahim, four armed men stormed his residence in Zintan after disabling surveillance cameras and shot him dead before fleeing. No official statement has yet been issued by Libyan authorities.
His cousin, Hamid Gaddafi, told Libyan broadcaster al-Ahrar that the family was informed Saif al-Islam had “fallen as a martyr.”
Why Zintan matters
Zintan is a mountainous city where Saif al-Islam was previously held by local militias following his capture during the 2011 uprising that toppled his father. The city has long played a complex role in Libya’s post-revolution power struggles.
Who was Saif al-Islam Gaddafi?
Educated in Libya and abroad, Saif al-Islam was once portrayed as a reform-minded figure and was widely seen as Muammar Gaddafi’s preferred successor before the Arab Spring. Although he never held a formal government position, he was often described as a de facto power broker in the years leading up to the 2011 revolt.
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His political standing collapsed during the uprising after he delivered a defiant speech warning of “rivers of blood” if protests against the regime continued.
His legal and political history
After his capture in November 2011, Saif al-Islam became the subject of an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court over alleged crimes linked to the violent suppression of protests. In 2015, a Libyan court sentenced him to death in a controversial trial, but he was later released under an amnesty law.
For years, his whereabouts remained unclear until he resurfaced in 2021 to register as a presidential candidate in Libya’s delayed elections, which were later postponed indefinitely amid legal disputes and political deadlock.
Why his death matters
Analysts say Saif al-Islam’s killing could have far-reaching political implications. Libya expert Emadeddin Badi described him as a deeply polarising figure whose possible return to power had become a central issue in the country’s stalled electoral process.
His death, analysts argue, could elevate him as a symbolic figure for supporters of the former regime while reshaping political calculations ahead of any future elections.
Libya remains divided between a UN-backed government in Tripoli and rival authorities in the east aligned with military commander Khalifa Haftar, with no clear resolution to the country’s prolonged instability.