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a Libyan delegation lebanon Progress was made in talks with judicial authorities on Monday over the possible release of the son of late Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi, who has been jailed without trial in Lebanon for a decade.
A five-member Libyan delegation held talks with three senior judicial officials, including prosecutor Jamal Hajar, over the fate of Hannibal Gaddafi, four Lebanese judicial officials told The Associated Press. He spoke on condition of anonymity in accordance with regulations.
Gaddafi, detained in Lebanon since 2015, is accused of withholding information about the fate of a Lebanese Shia cleric who disappeared during a visit to Libya in 1978, even though the late leader’s son was under 3 years old at the time.
A Lebanese judge last month ordered Hannibal Gaddafi free on $11 million bail but banned him from traveling outside Lebanon. His lawyers said he did not have enough money to repay the amount, and asked for permission for him to leave the country.
During a meeting with the Libyan delegation on Monday, Lebanese judicial officials agreed to work toward reducing bail and lifting travel restrictions, four judicial officials said. The Libyan delegation also submitted a detailed report on the investigation into missing cleric Moussa al-Sadr, officials said.
Libya formally requested the release of Hannibal Gaddafi in 2023, citing his deteriorating health after going on hunger strike in protest against his detention without trial.
Washington-based Hostage Aid Worldwide has also been advocating for Gaddafi’s release for years and raising concerns about his prolonged detention without transparent due process. In recent weeks, members of the organization have held discussions with senior Lebanese officials and urged Lebanon to adhere to international norms and protections against wrongful detention.
A person familiar with Hostage Aid Worldwide’s efforts told the AP that Gaddafi’s bail and travel ban are expected to be lifted, allowing him to leave Lebanon. QueueWhere he is expected to settle. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about the plans.
The Libyan delegation later met with President Joseph Aoun and informed him that it wanted to reactivate relations with Tripoli. beirut And finding solutions to pending issues between the two countries. A statement issued by Aoun’s office said the Lebanese president told the Libyan delegation that all obstacles should be removed to restore relations and promote cooperation between Lebanon and Libya.
Gaddafi was living in exile Syria with his Lebanese wife, Aline Skaff, and children, until he was kidnapped in 2015 and brought to Lebanon by Lebanese militants who were seeking information on al-Sadr.
Lebanese police later announced that they had captured Gaddafi in the northeastern Lebanese city of Baalbek, where he was being held, and he has since been held in a Beirut prison, where he faces questioning over al-Sadr’s disappearance.
This issue has long been a sore subject in Lebanon. The cleric’s family believes he may still be alive in a Libyan prison, although most Lebanese believe he is dead. He will be 96 years old.
Al-Sadr, who disappeared along with companions Abbas Badreddine and Muhammad Yacob was the founder of a Shia political and military group that took part in the long Lebanese civil war that began in 1975, pitting largely Muslims against Christians.
Hostage Aid Worldwide is also working with the Badreddine family in the US in efforts to bring closure to the al-Sadr case.
Libya’s 2011 uprising led to the assassination of Moammar Gaddafi by opposition fighters during the civil war, ending his four-decade rule over the North African country.
Hannibal Gaddafi, who was born about three years before al-Sadr’s disappearance, fled Algeria with his mother and several other relatives after his father was overthrown and Tripoli fell to opposition fighters.
He later went to Syria where he was granted political asylum and remained there until he was kidnapped.
Muammar Gaddafi had eight children from two marriages. Most of them had important roles in his government. His son Mu’atassim was assassinated at the same time that Moammar Gaddafi was captured and executed. Two other sons, Seif al-Arab and Khamis, were killed in the rebellion.
Saif al-Islam, who once succeeded his father, has been in Libya since his release from custody in 2017. Gaddafi’s son Mohammed and daughter Aisha live in Oman. Former football player al-Saadi Gaddafi was released from a Libyan prison in 2021 after being jailed following his return home from Niger in 2014 and is believed to be living in Turkey.