Hannibal Gaddafi, the son of late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, has formally requested political asylum in Switzerland, specifically in the city of Geneva, according to a report published by the Swiss newspaper Blick.
The request comes from Hannibal’s prison cell in Lebanon, where he has been held without trial since 2015.
The report notes that Gaddafi, through his legal representatives, is seeking international intervention to end what his supporters describe as a politically motivated and unlawful detention.
The request has not yet received a public response from Swiss authorities, and it remains unclear whether Switzerland is prepared to act on the appeal.
Hannibal Gaddafi was arrested in Lebanon over alleged links to the 1978 disappearance of Lebanese cleric Musa al-Sadr. He was only three years old at the time. Despite no formal charges or trial, he has remained in detention for nearly a decade.
His legal team has filed complaints with the United Nations and other international bodies, arguing that his prolonged detention constitutes a violation of international law.
Sources close to the Gaddafi family say Hannibal is seeking asylum in Geneva due to the city’s neutrality and his personal familiarity with it. He previously lived there during the early 2000s, enjoying a life of luxury before the fall of his father’s regime in 2011. He still maintains a network of acquaintances in Geneva and views the city as a potential safe haven.
The asylum request raises sensitive political memories in Switzerland. In 2008, Hannibal Gaddafi was arrested in Geneva for allegedly assaulting two domestic workers. The incident triggered a diplomatic crisis between Switzerland and Libya, including threats, sanctions, and the temporary detention of Swiss nationals in Libya.
Swiss officials have refrained from commenting on the matter. The Foreign Ministry deferred inquiries to the State Secretariat for Migration, which has the sole authority over asylum matters. Legal experts note that requesting asylum from detention is possible under international law, but requires the cooperation of the detaining country, in this case, Lebanon.
