TRIPOLI: Saif al-Islam Qadhafi, the most prominent son of former Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi, was shot dead at his residence on Tuesday, according to a family member.
Abdullah Othman Abdul Rahim told a television channel that four unidentified armed men stormed Saif al-Islam’s home after disabling surveillance cameras and killed him inside the house.
“Four armed men entered Saif al-Islam Qadhafi’s residence after switching off the cameras and then executed him,” Abdul Rahim said, adding that the attackers fled after the incident.
Saif al-Islam was a well-known figure in Libya, particularly for his influential role in shaping policy during his father’s four-decade rule. However, his public profile diminished significantly in the years following the 2011 uprising.
In 2015, a Libyan court sentenced him to death in absentia over charges related to the violent suppression of protests during the revolution that led to the overthrow and killing of Muammar Qadhafi. He was also provisionally charged by the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity.
After spending nearly a decade in captivity in a remote hill town, Saif al-Islam re-emerged in 2021 by registering as a presidential candidate for elections scheduled that December. The vote ultimately collapsed amid a prolonged political stalemate, with his candidacy widely seen as contributing to the deadlock.
Despite holding no official office, Saif al-Islam was once regarded as his father’s heir apparent and among the most powerful figures in the country. He played a central role in negotiations that led to Libya abandoning its weapons of mass destruction and was instrumental in talks over compensation for the families of victims of the 1988 Pan Am bombing over Scotland.