Lebanon court orders son of late Libyan leader Gaddafi freed on $11m bail

Hannibal Gaddafi, youngest lad of Muammar Gaddafi, has been held for astir a decennary without proceedings successful Lebanon.

A justice successful Lebanon has ordered the merchandise connected bail and imposed a question prohibition connected Hannibal Gaddafi, the youngest lad of the precocious Libyan person Muammar Gaddafi, who has been held for astir a decennary successful pre-trial detention.

Lebanon’s National News Agency confirmed Gaddafi’s bail ruling connected Friday successful a lawsuit related to the kidnapping and disappearance of revered Lebanese Shia person Musa al-Sadr successful Libya.

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The court’s determination was greeted with ridicule by Gaddafi’s lawyer Laurent Bayon.

The “release connected bail is wholly unacceptable successful a lawsuit of arbitrary detention. We volition situation the bail,” Bayon told the AFP quality agency.

Bayon besides said his lawsuit “is nether planetary sanctions” and could not wage the ample bail fee.

“Where bash you privation him to find $11m?” Bayon asked.

Lebanese authorities arrested Gaddafi successful 2015 and accused him of withholding accusation astir the disappearance of al-Sadr successful Libya successful 1978 – a lawsuit which inactive grips nationalist attraction successful Lebanon.

Al-Sadr was an iconic fig successful Lebanon erstwhile helium travelled to conscionable with then-Libyan person Muammar Gaddafi.

Founder of the Amal Movement, which is present an state of Hezbollah, al-Sadr went missing connected the sojourn on with an adjutant and a journalist, and nary person been heard from since.

Al-Sadr’s disappearance has sparked decades of theories and accusations of authoritative engagement by Gaddafi – who was overthrown and killed successful a 2011 uprising – and ties betwixt the 2 countries person been strained since the disappearance.

Lebanon’s parliament speaker, Nabih Berri, who succeeded al-Sadr astatine the caput of the Amal Movement, has accused Libya’s caller authorities of not cooperating connected the contented of al-Sadr’s disappearance, an accusation Libya denies.

In what galore spot arsenic a means of extracting answers arsenic to al-Sadr’s destiny successful Libya, Hannibal Gaddafi has been held successful situation successful Lebanon since 2015 without trial.

His lawyer, Bayon, has noted that his lawsuit is present 49, meaning that helium was astir 2 years aged astatine the clip that al-Sadr disappeared.

After the judge’s determination connected Friday, the al-Sadr household published a connection protesting the projected merchandise of Gaddafi and expressing their “surprise” astatine the bail ruling.

The household besides said they would “not interfere contiguous successful [the judge’s] determination to merchandise him”.

“The apprehension oregon merchandise of Hannibal Gaddafi is not our goal, but alternatively a specified ineligible procedure. Our superior contented is the disappearance of the imam [al-Sadr],” the household added.

In August, Human Rights Watch urged Lebanon to instantly merchandise Gaddafi, saying helium had been wrongly imprisoned connected “apparently unsubstantiated allegations that helium was withholding information” astir al-Sadr.

Last week, an alarm was raised astir the wellness of Gaddafi – who already suffers from slump – aft helium was hospitalised for abdominal pain.

Libyan authorities successful 2023 formally asked Lebanon to merchandise Gaddafi due to the fact that of his deteriorating wellness aft helium went connected a hunger onslaught to protestation his detention without trial.

Libyan Prosecutor General Al-Sediq al-Sour sent the petition to his Lebanese counterpart, Ghassan Oueidat, according to reports, and al-Sour reportedly said successful his petition that Lebanon’s practice successful freeing Gaddafi could assistance uncover the information regarding al-Sadr.