Lebanese authorities have released Hannibal Gaddafi, the son of late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, after almost ten years in detention. His release came on Monday evening following the payment of a bail amounting to approximately $900,000, according to his lawyer, who spoke to Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Charbel Milad Khoury, a member of Gaddafi’s legal team, confirmed to The Associated Press (AP) that all legal paperwork had been completed before his client’s release. Two Lebanese security officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, also confirmed the news.
The decision followed recent moves by Lebanese judicial authorities to lift a travel ban on Gaddafi and reduce his bail amount, paving the way for his freedom. On October 17, the Lebanese investigative judge had initially set bail at $11 million, a decision Gaddafi’s defense team appealed, leading to a significant reduction to around $900,000.
According to his lawyer, Hannibal Gaddafi will leave Lebanon for an undisclosed destination, though he continues to hold a Libyan passport.
Gaddafi, now 49 years old, had been held without trial since his arrest in 2015. Lebanese authorities accused him of withholding information related to the disappearance of Lebanese cleric Musa al-Sadr and his two companions during their official visit to Libya in 1978, a case that remains one of Lebanon’s longest-standing mysteries.
Human rights advocates have long criticized his detention, pointing out that Gaddafi was only two years old at the time of al-Sadr’s disappearance, arguing that his imprisonment lacked due process and violated international legal norms.
The release marks the end of a prolonged diplomatic and legal saga that strained Libya-Lebanon relations, with Tripoli repeatedly calling for his release and international observers urging respect for judicial fairness and human rights.
