Seif al-Islam Gadhafi, the son of the late Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi and once seen as his successor, has been reported dead in Libya, according to officials in the country. The 53-year-old was fatally shot in Zintan, a town located 136 kilometers southwest of Tripoli, the capital, as confirmed by the Libyan chief prosecutor’s office. Initial findings suggest that Seif al-Islam was a victim of gun violence, although specifics surrounding the incident remain undisclosed.
Khaled al-Zaidi, Seif al-Islam’s lawyer, acknowledged the death on social media without elaborating on the circumstances. Abdullah Othman Abdurrahim, who represented Gadhafi during United Nations-mediated political discussions aimed at resolving Libya’s enduring turmoil, also confirmed the news through a Facebook post.
Seif al-Islam’s political associates later issued a statement asserting that he was killed in a “cowardly and treacherous assassination” by four masked assailants who invaded his residence. The statement alleged that a confrontation occurred, during which the attackers disabled the household’s CCTV cameras in an effort to conceal evidence of their actions.
Born in Tripoli in June 1972, Seif al-Islam was the second son of Moammar Gadhafi and was known for his reformist image within the Gadhafi regime. Following Gadhafi’s ousting in 2011 after over four decades in power, Seif al-Islam was captured by Zintan fighters later that year while trying to escape to Niger. He was eventually released in June 2017 after being granted amnesty by one of Libya’s competing governments and had resided in Zintan since then.
In 2015, a Libyan court sentenced him to death in absentia for charges including incitement of violence and involvement in protester killings. Additionally, he faced accusations of crimes against humanity from the International Criminal Court related to the 2011 uprising. Despite being disqualified by Libya’s High National Elections Committee, Seif al-Islam announced his candidacy for the country’s presidential election in November 2021, sparking controversy and opposition from anti-Gadhafi factions in different regions of Libya.
The presidential election, marred by disputes between rival administrations and armed groups that have controlled Libya post-Gadhafi’s downfall, did not take place as scheduled. The nation remains fragmented and embroiled in conflict since the demise of Moammar Gadhafi, with various factions vying for power and influence.