Saif al-Islam Gaddafi — who was once the most prominent son and possible successor of Libya’s long-time ruler Muammar Gaddafi — has been shot dead in Libya, according to family sources, his lawyer, his political team and local media reports.
He was killed at his home in Zintan, a town in western Libya about 136 km southwest of Tripoli. Reports say four armed men entered his house and shot him after first turning off the security cameras, though many details about who was responsible and why remain unclear. Libyan prosecutors have launched a formal investigation into the killing.
Saif al-Islam was 53 years old. Born in Tripoli in 1972, he studied in the United Kingdom and earned a PhD from the London School of Economics. Early in his life he was seen as a possible reformer and diplomat within his father’s government. But when protests erupted across Libya in 2011 during the Arab Spring, he helped lead his family’s efforts to resist the revolution, which led to violent clashes.
After the uprising toppled Muammar Gaddafi, Saif al-Islam tried to flee the country. He was later captured by fighters and held in Zintan for several years. In a controversial trial, a Libyan court sentenced him to death in absentia for his role in the crackdown during the uprising, and the International Criminal Court (ICC) also charged him with crimes against humanity. He was released in 2017 under an amnesty, and since then had lived in Zintan.
In 2021, he tried to run for president of Libya, a move that was heavily criticized and ultimately blocked. Ongoing disagreements over elections and political reform have kept Libya deeply divided and unstable in the years since his father’s fall.
His death is a dramatic moment in Libya’s turbulent recent history, coming as the country continues to struggle with internal political divisions and competing armed groups.
Never Miss a Story: Join Our Newsletter
