Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the 53-year-old son of Libya’s former leader Muammar Gaddafi, has reportedly been shot dead, with conflicting reports emerging about the circumstances of his death.
His sister claimed he died near the Libya-Algeria border, while his lawyer stated he was assassinated by a “four-man commando” unit at his home in Zintan.
Once seen as his father’s heir apparent, Saif al-Islam played a key role in Libya’s rapprochement with the West and was accused of involvement in the brutal repression of anti-government protests in 2011.
He was sentenced to death in absentia in 2015 for his role in the crackdown but was released under an amnesty law in 2017.
The International Criminal Court had sought to try him for crimes against humanity, and his death has further destabilized Libya, which has been divided between rival governments and militias since his father’s ousting in 2011.
