Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son and one-time heir apparent of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, has reportedly been shot dead.
The 53-year-old’s death was confirmed on Tuesday by the head of his political team, according to state-linked media.
Conflicting accounts of the killing have emerged. His lawyer told AFP news agency that a “four-man commando” unit assassinated him at his home in Zintan. In a competing version, his sister claimed he died near Libya’s border with Algeria.
Saif al-Islam was long viewed as the most powerful figure in Libya after his father, who ruled from 1969 until his overthrow and killing during the 2011 uprising. Born in 1972, he was instrumental in Libya’s diplomatic rapprochement with the West in the 2000s.
Following the regime’s collapse, he was imprisoned for nearly six years by a militia in Zintan. He was accused of playing a central role in the brutal crackdown on 2011 anti-government protests. The International Criminal Court had sought to try him for crimes against humanity, and a Tripoli court sentenced him to death in absentia in 2015 for his role in the suppression.
