Hannibal Gaddafi, the 49-year-old son of Libya’s late dictator Muammar Gaddafi, is poised to be freed from a Lebanese prison following the payment of his bail on Monday, according to his lawyer and a judicial official. Gaddafi, who has been in pre-trial detention for nearly a decade, was arrested in Lebanon on charges related to withholding information about the 1978 disappearance of Lebanese Shia cleric Mussa Sadr in Libya. He was only two years old at the time of Sadr’s disappearance.
Gaddafi’s French lawyer, Laurent Bayon, confirmed to AFP that the bail was paid, marking the end of a ’10-year nightmare’ for his client. Initially set at $11 million, the bail amount was reduced to $900,000 last week after an appeal by Gaddafi’s defense team. A Lebanese judicial source verified the payment and stated that Gaddafi’s legal team is finalizing the release procedures.
Bayon revealed that Gaddafi, who holds a Libyan passport, will leave Lebanon for an undisclosed destination. The lawyer criticized Lebanon’s justice system, claiming that Gaddafi’s prolonged detention was a result of a lack of judicial independence. He noted that the move toward his client’s release reflects progress under Lebanon’s reformist government, which was formed in January.
The case stems from the disappearance of Mussa Sadr, the founder of the Amal movement and an ally of Hezbollah, during an official visit to Libya in 1978. Sadr, along with an aide and a journalist, vanished under mysterious circumstances, leading Beirut to accuse Muammar Gaddafi of involvement. The incident has strained relations between Lebanon and Libya for decades.
Hannibal Gaddafi, who is married to Lebanese model Aline Skaf, fled to Syria after the 2011 Libyan uprising that led to his father’s overthrow and death. He was kidnapped in December 2015 by armed men who took him to Lebanon, where authorities later detained him. His impending release marks a significant development in a case that has drawn international attention.