Saif al-Islam Qadhafi, the most prominent son of Libya’s late dictator Muammar Qadhafi, was shot dead at his home on Tuesday.
But how did one of the country’s most infamous figures meet such a sudden end?
According to a relative, Abdullah Othman Abdul Rahim, “Four armed men stormed the residence… after disabling surveillance cameras, then executed him.”
The attackers remain unidentified, leaving questions swirling about motive and who could be behind it.
Once his father’s heir apparent, Saif al-Islam’s profile faded in recent years.
Back in 2015, a Libyan court sentenced him to death in absentia over his role in suppressing peaceful protests during the 2011 revolution.
The uprising toppled his father’s decades-long rule.
The International Criminal Court also provisionally charged him with crimes against humanity.
After a decade in captivity in a remote town, he re-emerged in 2021 as a presidential candidate.
Saif’s Rise And Fall
This move ultimately derailed Libya’s December election amid political gridlock.
Though he held no official role, Saif had been seen as Libya’s second-most powerful figure.
He negotiated everything from the country abandoning weapons of mass destruction.
He also negotiated compensating victims’ families from the 1988 Pan Am bombing over Scotland.
From being a feared political heavyweight to years of obscurity and finally an ill-fated presidential bid, Saif’s life was as tumultuous as Libya itself.
And now, in a violent twist, his chapter has abruptly closed — leaving the country and the world to wonder who pulls the strings next.
