Libya opens investigation into assassination of Seif al-Islam Gaddafi

Yesterday 12:15

By: Sahili Aya

Libya opens investigation into assassination of Seif al-Islam Gaddafi

Libyan authorities have launched an investigation into the killing of Seif al-Islam Gaddafi, son of the late dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was shot dead in the western city of Zenten. The Attorney General’s Office in Tripoli confirmed that forensic experts and legal investigators examined his body and confirmed that he died from gunshot wounds.

Seif al-Islam, once considered a potential successor to his father, had been arrested in 2011 and later sentenced to death in 2015, though he was subsequently granted amnesty. He had been wanted by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity and spent years in detention in Zenten.

The circumstances surrounding his death remain unclear. His French lawyer, Marcel Ceccaldi, stated that a commando of four unidentified individuals carried out the attack at Gaddafi’s residence. Libyan authorities have not yet provided details about the funeral or further investigations.

Since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi, Libya has struggled to achieve stability, with two rival administrations—the UN-recognized Government of National Unity in Tripoli, led by Abdelhamid Dbeibah, and the eastern government under Marshal Khalifa Haftar—competing for control. The assassination underscores ongoing political instability and security challenges in the country.