A Libyan delegation met Lebanese judicial officials Monday to advance the potential release of Hannibal Gaddafi, son of the late leader. The five-member delegation held discussions with senior officials, including prosecutor Jamal Hajar, over Gaddafi’s detention without trial for nearly a decade.
Gaddafi has been jailed since 2015, accused of withholding information about Lebanese cleric Moussa al-Sadr, who disappeared during a trip to Libya in 1978. Born three years before al-Sadr’s disappearance, Hannibal Gaddafi’s age makes accusations tied to the case widely disputed and legally complex in Lebanon.
A judge recently ordered his release on $11 million bail but restricted him from leaving Lebanon, a sum his lawyers cannot meet. During Monday’s talks, officials agreed to work toward lowering the bail sharply and lifting the travel ban to facilitate his departure.
The Libyan delegation also submitted a detailed report on investigations into al-Sadr’s fate, which remains shrouded in mystery and speculation. Libya formally requested Hannibal Gaddafi’s release in 2023, citing his deteriorating health after a hunger strike protesting prolonged detention without trial.
Hostage Aid Worldwide, based in Washington, has advocated for Gaddafi, pressing Lebanon to respect international norms on wrongful detention and due process. Sources indicate the travel ban and bail may soon be lifted, enabling Gadhafi to move to Qatar, where he is expected to settle.
Hannibal Gaddafi had previously lived in exile in Syria with his Lebanese wife, Aline Skaf, until his 2015 abduction in Baalbek, Lebanon. The case remains a sensitive point in Lebanon, with al-Sadr’s family holding hope he may still be alive, though most presume his death. Moammar Gaddafi was killed in Libya’s 2011 uprising, prompting Hannibal and his family to flee first to Algeria, then later to Syria for asylum.