Gaddafi had been living in exile in Syria with his Lebanese wife and children when he was abducted by militants in 2015. He was later handed over to Lebanese authorities, who accused him of withholding information about Sadr, who vanished during a trip to Libya in 1978.
Hannibal Gaddafi was only two years old at the time of Sadr’s disappearance and did not hold a senior position in the Libyan state as an adult. Human rights groups have criticised his long detention, calling the charges baseless. In 2023, he staged a hunger strike that led to a serious decline in his health.
Lebanese judicial authorities ordered his release last month, initially setting bail at $11 million, which was later reduced to around $900,000. The revised ruling also lifted a travel ban. The National News Agency said Gaddafi was freed after his legal team paid the bail.
Libya’s Tripoli-based Government of National Unity welcomed the decision and thanked Lebanese officials for their cooperation, saying the move could support efforts to restore diplomatic and economic ties.
The disappearance of Imam Sadr has long strained relations between Lebanon and Libya, remaining one of the region’s most unresolved political mysteries.