Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of Libya’s late ruler Muammar Gaddafi, was killed on Tuesday at his home in Zintan in western Libya, according to his French lawyer Marcel Ceccaldi.
Ceccaldi told AFP that a four-man commando carried out the attack. He said he does not yet know who was behind the killing. He added that Saif had faced security concerns before his death. A close associate warned about problems with his protection around ten days earlier.
Sources close to the family confirmed the killing. His lawyer Khaled el-Zaydi and Libyan media also reported the assassination. Authorities have not released further details, and the circumstances remain unclear.
Once seen as his father’s heir apparent, Saif later fell into years of captivity and political isolation in Zintan. After more than a decade away from public life, he launched a presidential bid that became a major point of contention in Libya’s failed election process.
Despite holding no official position, many viewed Saif as a powerful figure in Libya. He helped shape state policy and led sensitive diplomatic missions. He took part in negotiations that led Libya to abandon its weapons of mass destruction.
BREAKING: Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of the long-time former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, has been killed in Libya https://t.co/Ut8E0RumTv pic.twitter.com/2ygSFZTOR4
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) February 3, 2026He also negotiated compensation for the families of victims of the 1988 Pan Am Flight 103 bombing over Lockerbie, Scotland.
Educated at the London School of Economics and fluent in English, Saif cultivated close ties with Western governments. He presented himself as a reformer and called for a constitution and respect for human rights.
That image collapsed during the 2011 uprising. Saif backed his father’s rule and supported a violent crackdown on rebels. In public remarks, he warned that Libya would face widespread bloodshed and decades of division.
GADDAFI’S SON: Our big MISTAKE was delaying weapons purchases from Russia and not building a strong army
‘Our mistake to be very tolerant with our enemies’ — Saif al-Islam Gaddafi to RT’s Maria Finoshina years ago
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi was KILLED today https://t.co/KAwkJsd2aq pic.twitter.com/29u6wQhyuo
— RT (@RT_com) February 3, 2026After rebels seized Tripoli, Saif tried to flee toward Niger disguised as a Bedouin tribesman. Fighters from the Abu Bakr Sadik Brigade captured him on a desert road and flew him to Zintan.
In an audio recording from that time, Saif said he feared for his life. He said people would shoot him if he went outside. He spent several years detained in Zintan. Human Rights Watch later met him there and said he did not report physical abuse. The group raised concerns about long periods of solitary confinement.
In 2015, a Tripoli court sentenced Saif to death by firing squad for war crimes. The International Criminal Court also issued an arrest warrant against him for murder and persecution. A militia released him in 2017 under an amnesty law. After his release, he lived largely out of public view and feared assassination.
In 2021, Saif appeared in the southern city of Sabha to file his presidential candidacy. Supporters expected him to draw support from nostalgia for the period before 2011.
Many groups opposed his bid, including armed factions and victims of the former regime. Authorities later disqualified him because of his 2015 conviction. Fighters blocked access to the court when he tried to appeal. Disputes over his candidacy contributed to the collapse of the election process. Libya then returned to political stalemate.
In a 2021 interview with The New York Times Magazine, Saif discussed his political strategy. He said he needed a slow return after being away from the Libyan people for 10 year
