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 Libyan authorities on Tuesday. The 53-year-old was reportedly killed in Zintan, a town located 136 kilometers southwest of the capital city, Tripoli. Initial investigations indicate that Seif al-Islam was fatally shot, although specific details surrounding the incident remain undisclosed.
Khaled al-Zaidi, a legal representative for Seif al-Islam, confirmed the death via a Facebook post, refraining from elaborating further. Similarly, Abdullah Othman Abdurrahim, who represented Gadhafi during United Nations-led negotiations to resolve Libya’s prolonged conflict, also announced the death on social media.
A statement released by Seif al-Islam’s political team alleged that he was attacked by “four masked individuals” at his residence, resulting in his death through what they described as a “cowardly and treacherous assassination.” The statement mentioned a confrontation between Seif al-Islam and the assailants, who purportedly 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 pursuing a Ph.D. at the London School of Economics, representing a more progressive facet of the Gadhafi regime.
Following Moammar Gadhafi’s ousting in 2011 amid a NATO-supported uprising after over four decades in power, Libya descended into turmoil, marked by internal conflict and factional warfare. Seif al-Islam was apprehended by fighters in Zintan towards the end of 2011 while trying to escape to Niger. Subsequently, he was released in June 2017 following an amnesty granted by one of Libya’s rival governments, residing in Zintan since then.
In 2015, a Libyan court sentenced Seif al-Islam to death in absentia for instigating violence and involvement in the killing of protesters. Additionally, he faced charges of crimes against humanity from the International Criminal Court linked to the 2011 uprising.
Despite facing disqualification by Libya’s High National Elections Committee, Seif al-Islam declared his candidacy for the presidential election in November 2021, triggering backlash from anti-Gadhafi factions in different parts of the country. However, the election was postponed due to ongoing disputes among rival authorities and armed groups that have governed Libya post-Moammar Gadhafi’s demise.