On Saturday, the UN Security Council Committee concerning Libya has granted a six-month travel exemption for three family members of Muammar Gaddafi. This included his widow Safia Farkash, his daughter Aisha, and his son Mohamed.
The Security Council said in a statement on Saturday that the three individuals would be allowed to travel for humanitarian purposes between 1 December 2021 and 31 June 2022.
“Under the humanitarian travel exemption granted, travel information shall be provided by the aforementioned individuals for information purposes of the Committee prior to, and within one month after travel,” the UNSC explained.
“Accordingly, these three individuals of the Gaddafi family may undertake unlimited travel for humanitarian purposes during the above-mentioned time frame,” it added.
The UNSC added that the Committee may consider extending or renewing the exemption, if circumstances warrant.
In 2011, the UNSC Sanctions Committee banned Farkash from travelling outside Libya, and ordered all of her foreign assets to be seized. “As of June 24, 2011, the (sanctions) committee listed two individuals as subject to the travel ban and assets freeze and one entity as subject to the assets freeze,” Portugal’s UN Ambassador, Jose Filipe Moraes Cabral said.
The travel ban was lifted on all three family members in December 2020. The family had fled to Algeria in August 2011, as rebel forces seized Tripoli, and were later granted asylum in Oman.
Another of Gaddafi’s sons, Saadi, fled to Niger in September 2011. Mutassim and another two of Gaddafi’s sons were killed in the 2011 conflict — Saif Al-Arab died in a NATO airstrike, while Khamis was killed during fighting in August.