Hannibal Gaddafi, the youngest son of the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, has finally been released by Lebanese authorities after spending almost ten years in detention without trial. His release marks the end of a long and bitter legal struggle that began in 2015.
Now 49 years old, Hannibal was taken into custody by Lebanese security forces after being accused of hiding information about the mysterious disappearance of Lebanese Shia cleric Musa al-Sadr, who vanished in Libya in 1978. At the time of the cleric’s disappearance, Hannibal was just two years old, making the charges against him highly questionable in the eyes of many observers.
His lawyer, Laurent Bayon, confirmed that his client was released after paying $900,000 in bail. Bayon described the release as “the end of a nightmare that lasted for ten years,” adding that the long detention exposed the lack of independence in Lebanon’s justice system.
Earlier in October, a Lebanese judge had initially set the bail at $11 million, but it was reduced after the defense appealed the decision. Gaddafi’s lawyer revealed that his client would be leaving Lebanon for a confidential destination, though no details were shared for security reasons.
Hannibal’s ordeal began when he was briefly abducted by an armed group in Lebanon in 2015 before being handed over to the authorities. He had earlier fled Libya after his father was toppled and killed during the 2011 uprising. He later lived under house arrest in Oman with his wife, Aline Skaf.
Before his father’s downfall, Hannibal was known for living an extravagant lifestyle, enjoying wealth and privileges that came with being part of Libya’s ruling family.
The unresolved disappearance of cleric Musa al-Sadr has been a major source of diplomatic tension between Lebanon and Libya for decades. However, human rights groups have repeatedly pointed out that Hannibal had no political role at the time and could not possibly have been involved in the incident.
His release brings an end to one of Lebanon’s most controversial detentions in recent memory, highlighting the deep flaws within its legal system and the lingering political shadows cast by Libya’s turbulent history.