Why was Muammar Gaddafi’s son killed?

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the second son of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, who ruled the country for 42 years, has died. Although he never established a dictatorship like his father, his fate ended in a manner strikingly similar to Muammar Gaddafi’s. He was shot at his home by unidentified individuals. Despite never holding an official government position, why was an assassination attempt carried out against him? Why was he considered a significant figure in Libya’s political landscape? We explore these questions today.

Killed in his own home

The politician was killed by four armed men in the garden of his home near the city of Zintan in western Libya. After injuring him, the attackers immediately fled the scene. A political group close to Gaddafi stated that the assailants had first disabled the surveillance cameras at the residence where Saif lived.

Aguil Delhum, a member of the deceased’s political team, described the incident as a crime against the entire nation.

“This recent event is a crime against our history and all of Libya. The killing of Saif al-Islam is nothing more than a cheap way to eliminate a political rival,” Delhum said.

Delhum suggested that Gaddafi’s son was intimidated by forces that did not wish for an independent Libya. He declined to specify who he held responsible for the killing and urged people to await the results of the official law enforcement investigation. Saif al-Islam reportedly engaged in a firefight with the armed assailants and was killed on February 3 at 2:30 p.m. local time.

Who was Saif al-Islam Gaddafi?

Discussing Saif al-Islam inevitably brings up his father, Muammar Gaddafi, Libya’s 42-year leader, because the accusations and restrictions placed on the son were directly linked to the political regime his father ran. Muammar Gaddafi overthrew King Idris in 1969 through a bloodless coup and assumed leadership of Libya at the age of 27. Shortly after taking power, he laid territorial claims to neighboring Chad and sent troops there, prompting international condemnation.

On June 25, 1972, one of Gaddafi’s politically prominent sons, Saif al-Islam, was born. Gaddafi had many children, some of whom were appointed to high-ranking positions. For instance, his fifth son, Mutassim Billah Gaddafi, served as a national security advisor. However, Saif al-Islam declined such positions. Educated abroad, including at the London School of Economics, he spoke English fluently and conducted negotiations with Western partners.

By the 2000s, Libya began moving closer to European countries. European investors were allowed into the country, contributing to some liberalization of Libya’s political and economic life. After the September 11 attacks in 2001, Libya began cooperating with the United States in counterterrorism efforts.

Saif also played a role in Libya’s nuclear disarmament programs. On April 23, 2004, the United States partially lifted economic sanctions on Libya.

In August 2008, during a meeting of more than 200 African kings, sultans, emirs, sheikhs, and tribal leaders, Muammar Gaddafi was declared the “King of African Kings.”

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi made his own mark. Between 1997 and 1998, he initiated an international humanitarian and cooperation fund. As its head, he negotiated the release of Western hostages held by Afghan Taliban and insurgents in the Philippines. In 2003, he participated actively in trade negotiations with the United Kingdom. Both he and his father faced numerous accusations of extreme violence against opponents. Between 1969 and 1994, 343 Libyans opposing the Gaddafi regime were officially confirmed dead.

In 2010–2011, the Arab Spring protests swept across the Middle East. On February 15, 2011, opposition forces in Libya rose against Gaddafi’s rule, demanding his resignation. A civil war broke out, and on February 20, opposition forces captured the capital, Tripoli.

On June 27, 2011, during the Libyan civil war, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Muammar Gaddafi on charges of murder and other crimes. Following this, U.S. and NATO-led coalition forces intervened in Libya.

Gaddafi went into hiding in the city of Sirte. On October 20, 2011, U.S. and NATO forces attacked Sirte. Wounded in both legs, Gaddafi was captured and handed over to the public, who beat and insulted him. He was later killed by the crowd, and his body was displayed in a freezer in Misrata.

The focus now turns to Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, presented as his father’s heir. During the 2011 uprising, he appeared on television, appealing to the public. In June of the same year, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for him, along with his father, for crimes against humanity.

After the rebels captured Tripoli, Saif attempted to flee to Nigeria in traditional Bedouin clothing. About a month after his father’s death, he was captured, taken to Zintan, and imprisoned. In 2015, he was even sentenced to death in connection with quelling the protests. UN estimates suggest that up to 15,000 people died during the uprising and the war that toppled Gaddafi, while Libyan authorities reported 30,000 deaths. Saif’s lawyers argued that his trial was not impartial but a revenge campaign against his father. He was released in mid-2017 under a general amnesty law.

In November 2021, Saif reemerged in Libya’s political scene and ran in the long-delayed presidential elections. Opposition figures labeled him an authoritarian, and the 2015 conviction barred him from running. When he attempted to appeal, armed men surrounded the court building, halting the election process.

Currently, Libya remains divided. Eastern regions near Benghazi and the Egyptian border are under General Khalifa Haftar’s control. The capital Tripoli and western regions near Tunisia and Algeria are overseen by the UN-recognized Government of National Unity. Numerous unresolved issues persist, with multiple armed groups rejecting election results.