Libyan officials said on Wednesday that Seif al-Islam Gadhafi, a son of former Libyan ruler Moammar Gadhafi, was killed in a shooting at his home in the western city of Zintan.
Seif was believed to be seeking a return to public life in a country still bitterly divided between rival governments and armed groups.
Who was Seif al-Islam Gadhafi?
He was the second-eldest son of Libya’s late ruler Moammar Gadhafi, who led the country for more than four decades. Before his father’s ousting in 2011, Seif al-Islam was linked to efforts at limited political and economic reform. During the 2011 uprising, however, he publicly backed the government’s violent response to protests.
How did the killing happen?
Seif al-Islam’s political office said four masked men stormed his residence in Zintan and killed him in what it called a “treacherous and cowardly” act. His lawyer, Khaled al-Zaidi, confirmed he was assassinated at his home. The al-Arabiya television channel reported the 53-year-old was shot dead in the garden of his residence, citing sources close to the Gadhafi family.
Speculation has focused on militias aligned with the Tripoli-based government of Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh after the killing, though a militia tied to the ministry denied those accusations. Seif’s renewed bid to re-enter politics could have posed a challenge to Dbeibeh and his allies.
Gadhafi’s political office called on the Libyan judiciary, the international community, the United Nations and human rights organizations to carry out an independent and transparent investigation at local and international levels.
Edited by: Elizabeth Schumacher