The son of the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi — Hannibal Gaddafi — has not left Lebanon and remains under arrest. His lawyer, Paul Romanos, told Al Hadath TV.
“The reports claiming that my client has been released by the Lebanese authorities are not true. Hannibal is still in prison,” the lawyer stated. According to him, the information about Hannibal’s alleged release appeared on the website of Libya’s Ministry of Justice, but was later removed. Earlier, sources within Lebanon’s security services also denied reports that Hannibal was being prepared for extradition to Libya.
The 49-year-old son of Gaddafi has been held in Lebanon since 2015. He was kidnapped by Shia militants in neighboring Syria, where he had been living as a political exile, and was subsequently handed over to Lebanese law enforcement. The Shia group accused Hannibal of withholding information about the disappearance of prominent cleric Imam Musa al-Sadr in Libya.
According to Al Nahar newspaper, in late August 1978, the popular Shia cleric Musa al-Sadr was invited to Libya to attend celebrations marking the anniversary of the September 1, 1969 revolution. From Tripoli, he was supposed to fly to Rome for an audience with the Pope. However, after a meeting with Colonel Gaddafi, the imam and his two companions vanished.
Hannibal, who is married to Lebanese model Aline Skaf, oversaw Libya’s oil exports during his father’s rule. In 2011, he managed to escape war-torn Libya along with his mother Safia, sister Aisha, and half-brother Mohammed, fleeing to neighboring Algeria.
Two of Hannibal’s brothers — Mutassim and Khamis — were killed during the conflict with rebel forces. Seif al-Islam, who was considered Muammar Gaddafi’s heir, was arrested. Another brother, Saadi, was extradited to Libya by Niger’s authorities in 2014.
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Based on TASS materials