The son of the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has been released from custody after spending a decade in detention. Hannibal Gaddafi was freed on Monday after a bail payment of $900,000 was processed.
The extended detention was linked to allegations that Gaddafi was withholding information about the disappearance of a prominent Lebanese cleric.
End of a Decade-Long Detention
One member of the defense team, lawyer Charbel Milad al-Khoury, confirmed his client’s release. Al-Khoury stated that Gaddafi was officially free on Monday evening once all necessary paperwork was finalized.
“Hannibal is officially free and has the full right to choose the destination that he wants,” al-Khoury asserted. He declined to give any details concerning Gaddafi’s future travel plans, citing serious security concerns.
This release follows a critical shift in judicial decisions. Days earlier, judicial authorities in the country had significantly reduced Gaddafi’s bail amount and lifted a ban on his travel.
Prior to that decision, a delegation from Libya had visited the country and reportedly made progress in discussions regarding Gaddafi’s release.
The Case of the Missing Cleric
Gaddafi had been held in Lebanon since 2015. He was accused of possessing information about the fate of Lebanese Shiite cleric Moussa al-Sadr.
The cleric vanished during a 1978 visit to Libya. Notably, Gaddafi was less than three years old when the cleric disappeared.
A Lebanese judge had initially ordered Gaddafi’s release in mid-October on a bail amount of $\$11$ million. However, the ruling included a strict ban on him leaving the country.
At the time, his legal team protested, stating he lacked the funds to cover that huge amount, and sought permission for him to travel abroad.
The judicial bail was later substantially reduced on Thursday to 80 billion Lebanese pounds $900,000. With the reduced bail paid, the travel ban was simultaneously removed, clearing the way for his departure.
Payment and Legal Maneuvers
Multiple judicial and security officials confirmed that the reduced bail was paid by the visiting Libyan delegation. The Justice Ministry, representing the government based in Tripoli, also posted confirmation of the bail payment on its social media platforms.
Officials in Beirut confirmed a related development: Gaddafi’s defense team withdrew a case they had filed against the Lebanese state last month in Geneva. That international case had been filed to protest his detention without formal trial.
Libya formally requested Hannibal Gaddafi’s release in 2023. The request cited his worsening health, which deteriorated after he launched a hunger strike to protest his lengthy detention without judicial proceedings.
Gaddafi had been residing in exile in Syria with his Lebanese wife, Aline Skaf, and children. He was subsequently abducted in 2015 and transported to Lebanon by Lebanese militants.
These militants sought information about the whereabouts of al-Sadr. Lebanese police later announced they had successfully seized Gaddafi from the northeastern Lebanese city of Baalbek. He was held ever since in a Beirut jail, where he faced questioning concerning the cleric’s disappearance.
This unsolved case has been a source of long-standing tension in Lebanon. While most Lebanese citizens presume the cleric is deceased, his family maintains the belief that he may still be alive in a Libyan prison. If still living, he would be 96 years old.
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