The long-standing case of Hannibal Gaddafi has resurfaced, as Libyan authorities formally demand his immediate release or deportation to a third country—ten years after he was detained in Lebanon.
According to senior judicial sources who spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat, Lebanon’s judiciary has received an official letter from Libyan Prosecutor General Al-Siddiq Al-Sour, urging the Lebanese government to release Hannibal Gaddafi without delay and either return him to Libya or transfer him to his country of asylum, Syria. The letter also blamed Lebanese authorities for the deterioration of Gaddafi’s health and warned of potential consequences.
However, the request is expected to be swiftly rejected by the Lebanese judiciary. Legal officials say Libya’s communication lacked any new information regarding the fate of Imam Musa Al-Sadr, Sheikh Mohammad Yaacoub, and journalist Abbas Badreddine—who were abducted and forcibly disappeared in Libya in 1978.
The Libyan request has reportedly disappointed Lebanese legal circles, especially after earlier promises of cooperation from Libyan authorities. Lebanon had previously been informed that the Libyan judiciary was willing to share documents and findings from post-Gaddafi era investigations with Judge Zaher Hamadeh, the judicial investigator in the Sadr case.
Yet, the recent letter made no reference to such cooperation. Instead, it reiterated Libya’s demand for Hannibal’s release—ignoring Lebanon’s requests, and failing to respect a 2014 memorandum of understanding signed between the two judicial authorities.
The letter, received via diplomatic channels, was addressed to top Lebanese judicial figures, including the President of the Judicial Council Judge Suhail Abboud, Prosecutor General Judge Jamal Al-Hajjar, and Judge Zaher Hamadeh. It outlined Hannibal’s kidnapping from Syria, transfer to Lebanon, his questioning, and the arrest warrant issued for withholding information regarding the disappearance of Al-Sadr and his companions.
The Lebanese judiciary remains firm: no release without reciprocal cooperation. Judge Hamadeh is reportedly preparing a formal response rejecting the Libyan demand unless credible and comprehensive documents are provided. The judiciary believes Hannibal Gaddafi may hold crucial information, particularly due to his former role overseeing political prisons in Libya.
Hannibal has stated that he is willing to share information only after being freed and allowed to leave Lebanon—a position seen as evidence that he possesses valuable insight into the decades-old disappearance case. Lebanon, however, insists that the truth must come first.
