Hannibal Gaddafi, the youngest son of the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, was released on Monday after almost ten years of imprisonment without trial in Lebanon. He was held in connection with the disappearance of the Shiite cleric Musa al-Sadr in 1978. This was reported by UNN with reference to Reuters.
Hannibal Gaddafi was detained in 2015 after being kidnapped by militants in Syria, where he was in exile with his family. Lebanese authorities accused him of concealing information about the fate of Imam Musa al-Sadr, who disappeared during a visit to Libya.
At the time of the cleric's disappearance, Gaddafi was only two years old and never held high positions in the Libyan government. Human rights organizations have repeatedly criticized the conditions of his detention, calling the accusations "false." In 2023, he went on a hunger strike to protest his arrest, after which his health sharply deteriorated.
Last month, Lebanon's judiciary ruled to release Gaddafi on bail. Initially, the amount was $11 million, but later the court reduced the amount to approximately $900,000 and lifted the travel ban for him.
"Gaddafi's release came after his lawyers posted bail," Lebanon's National News Agency reported.
The Libyan Government of National Unity thanked the Lebanese leadership for "cooperation that led to Gaddafi's release" and expressed readiness to restore diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Recall:
A Libyan delegation arrived in Beirut for negotiations on the release of Hannibal Gaddafi, who has been in a Lebanese prison since 2015 without a court decision. He is accused of concealing information about the disappearance of the Shiite cleric Musa al-Sadr in 1978.