Libya authorities confirm death of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi

Libyan Leader Saif al-Islam Gaddafi Killed in Zintan City

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, has been confirmed dead by his political adviser Abdullah Othman. According to Ahmed Khalifa, an Al Jazeera Arabic correspondent based in Libya, Gaddafi was shot and killed in the western city of Zintan, where he had been residing for the past decade.

Gaddafi’s death remains unclear, with the attackers and circumstances still unknown. Libyan authorities have yet to comment publicly on the matter. Prior to his father’s death in 2011, Gaddafi held a position as Muammar Gaddafi’s second-in-command from 2000 until that year.

In 2011, Gaddafi was captured and imprisoned in Zintan after attempting to flee Libya following the opposition takeover of Tripoli. He was released in 2017 as part of a general pardon. Gaddafi received a PhD from the London School of Economics (LSE) in 2008, with his dissertation focusing on civil society’s role in reforming global governance.

Gaddafi remained prominent during the violence that followed the Arab Spring, speaking to Reuters at the time. He warned of potential bloodshed and destruction, stating that Libya would need 40 years to reach an agreement on governing the country. Gaddafi faced allegations of torture and extreme violence against opponents of his father’s rule, leading him to be placed on a United Nations sanctions list in February 2011.

Following his release from prison in 2017, Gaddafi was allowed to contact people inside and outside Libya, according to Mustafa Fetouri, a Libyan analyst with contacts in Gaddafi’s inner circle.

Source: Al Jazeera