Libyan Delegation Seeks Hannibal Gadhafi’s Release After a Decade in Lebanese Custody

Libyan delegation makes headway in Beirut over Hannibal Gadhafi

A five-member Libyan delegation met senior Lebanese judicial officials in Beirut on Monday and made progress toward securing the release of Hannibal Gadhafi, the son of the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, who has been detained in Lebanon without trial since 2015.

The delegation held talks with three senior judicial figures, including prosecutor Jamal Hajar, the officials told The Associated Press. Those sources spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. According to the officials, the Libyan team delivered a detailed report on the disappearance of Lebanese Shiite cleric Moussa al-Sadr, a central element in the case against Hannibal.

Hannibal Gadhafi has been held in Lebanon since militants abducted him in 2015 amid demands that he disclose information about al-Sadr’s disappearance in Libya in 1978. He has been accused of withholding information, although he was under three years old at the time of the cleric’s disappearance.

Last month a Lebanese judge ordered Hannibal’s release on bail set at $11 million and imposed a travel ban. His lawyers said he cannot raise the bail and requested permission for him to leave Lebanon. Judicial sources said they would seek to sharply reduce the bail and lift the travel restriction after receiving Tripoli’s report on the al-Sadr case.

Tripoli formally requested Hannibal’s release in 2023, citing his deteriorating health after a hunger strike to protest his prolonged detention without trial. The Washington-based advocacy group Hostage Aid Worldwide has also campaigned for Hannibal’s release, raising concerns about his lengthy detention and the lack of transparent due process.

An individual familiar with Hostage Aid Worldwide’s discussions with Lebanese officials told the AP that Hannibal’s bail and travel ban are expected to be lifted, potentially allowing him to travel to Qatar, where he is reported likely to settle. That person spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss details publicly.

The Libyan delegation later met with Lebanese President Michel Aoun. A statement from Aoun’s office said Tripoli wants to reactivate relations with Beirut and resolve outstanding bilateral issues; the president urged that obstacles be removed to restore and strengthen cooperation between the two countries.

Background: the al-Sadr disappearance and the Gaddafi family

Moussa al-Sadr disappeared in Libya in 1978 while visiting the country; he was accompanied by Abbas Badreddine and Mohammed Yacoub. Al-Sadr founded a Shiite political and social movement that played a major role in Lebanon’s civil war. His fate remains one of Lebanon’s most sensitive and contentious unresolved cases. Al-Sadr would be in his mid-90s today if still alive; his family has not ruled out the possibility that he may have been detained in Libya.

Hannibal lived in exile after his father’s regime fell in 2011, first in Algeria and later in Syria, where he lived with his wife, Aline Skaf, and their children until his 2015 abduction in Lebanon. He has since been held in a Beirut prison and questioned about the al-Sadr case.

Muammar Gaddafi, who ruled Libya for more than four decades, was killed during the 2011 uprising. Several of his children played prominent roles in Libya’s government; some were killed during the conflict, while others have lived abroad or returned to Libya. The al-Sadr case and Hannibal’s detention remain politically sensitive issues that also affect Lebanese-Libyan relations.

Note: Reporting on ongoing legal matters can evolve rapidly; details such as bail, travel authorization and diplomatic arrangements may change as officials finalize agreements.