Saif al‑Islam Gaddafi, son of Libya’s late leader Col. Muammar Gaddafi, has been assassinated in the western Libyan city of Zintan, where he had resided for more than a decade.
Saif al‑Islam Gaddafi
According to reports from the Libyan News Agency, the 53‑year‑old was shot and killed on Tuesday, Feb. 3, by unidentified gunmen.
His political team confirmed the incident, while his sister told Libyan television that he died near the country’s border with Algeria, without disclosing further details.
Khaled al‑Mishri, former head of the Tripoli‑based High State Council, an internationally recognised government body, has called for an “urgent and transparent investigation” into the killing.
Saif al‑Islam, once widely regarded as his father’s heir apparent, never held an official position in Libya but was considered one of the most influential figures in the country after Muammar Gaddafi, who ruled from 1969 until his ouster and death during the 2011 uprising.
Following the fall of Tripoli in 2011, Saif al‑Islam was captured while attempting to flee the country and imprisoned in Zintan.
In 2015, he was sentenced to death in absentia, but was later released in 2017 under a general pardon.
Despite his controversial past, he attempted a political comeback, including a presidential bid in 2021, though his candidacy was marred by disputes and legal challenges.
The African Union has condemned the assassination and urged Libyan authorities to conduct a thorough investigation.
Analysts warn that the killing could further destabilise Libya’s fragile political transition, which has been plagued by factional violence and competing governments.
Saif al‑Islam’s death marks the end of a turbulent chapter in Libya’s post‑Gaddafi era, removing a polarising figure who symbolised continuity of the old regime while attempting to re‑enter the political mainstream.
