The family of the murdered Libyan footballer Bashir Al-Riani has vowed not to “forfeit his blood” after the country’s Supreme Court overturned the acquittal of Saadi Gaddafi in the case.
Saadi, the son of the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, was previously acquitted by the Tripoli Court of Appeals in April 2018 of charges related to Al-Riani’s torture and murder in 2005. Despite the acquittal, Saadi remained imprisoned until his release on 6 September 2021, after which he reportedly left for Turkey.
In a video statement, Al-Riani’s son announced that the Supreme Court had overturned Saadi’s acquittal and accepted an appeal against it, returning the case to the Tripoli Court of Appeals. He asserted this decision as proof of Saadi’s guilt and vowed to pursue justice until the trial is completed.
There has been no comment from Saadi’s supporters regarding the Supreme Court’s decision. However, Ahmed Nashad, a Libyan lawyer and head of the defence team for Abdullah Senussi, former intelligence chief under Gaddafi, explained that overturning Saadi’s acquittal requires a new trial at the Tripoli Court of Appeals.
Al-Riani was found dead in 2005 near Saadi’s seaside residence. Saadi was accused of torturing and killing him, though accounts of the incident vary widely.
In June 2014, former Attorney General Abdelkader Jumaa Radwan referred Saadi’s case to the indictment chamber of the North Tripoli Primary Court after concluding the investigation.
Saadi Gaddafi, now 50, had a brief football career in Italy before leading an elite military unit. After the 2011 revolution that toppled his father’s regime, Saadi fled to Niger but was extradited to Libya in 2014 and jailed. His release in 2021 followed a court order issued two years earlier.
A former political official close to the Government of National Unity speculated that Saadi’s release was politically motivated, part of broader efforts to free several former regime figures. He noted that many Gaddafi loyalists remain imprisoned despite court orders for their release.
The Government of National Unity stated that Saadi’s release was executed in collaboration with the Attorney General’s office, honouring a prior judicial decision.
Al-Riani’s son hailed the Supreme Court’s ruling as a testament to the fairness of the Libyan judiciary, reaffirming the family’s commitment to seeking justice.
