Libya frees Saadi Gaddafi, son of ex-dictator Muammar Gaddafi
- Saadi had been held in a Tripoli prison, accused of crimes committed against protesters in 2011
- The former footballer was known for his playboy lifestyle during his father’s dictatorship
Libyan authorities on Sunday released one of Muammar Gaddafi’s sons after more than seven years of detention in the capital of Tripoli following his extradition from neighbouring Niger.
Mohamed Hamouda, a spokesman for the transitional government, said Saadi Gaddafi walked free from Tripoli’s al-Hadaba prison, where many Gaddafi regime officials are being held pending trial, mostly in connection to the crackdown on the 2011 uprising that toppled the long-time ruler and led to his killing.
Hamuda did not elaborate the circumstances of the son’s release but said authorities have just implemented a two-year-old court order to free him.
Local media reported Saadi Gaddafi was released after he was acquitted on charges dating back to the uprising against his father’s rule. Following his release, he travelled to Turkey, according to the al-Marsad news website.
At the time of the 2011 revolt Saadi Gaddafi headed a special forces brigade that was involved in the crackdown on protesters and rebels.
He was smuggled across the desert to Niger in 2011 just as his father’s regime was crumbling. He was extradited in March 2014 after he, as well as colleagues who accompanied him, “failed to respect the conditions of his stay in Niger,” the West African nation’s government said at the time.
The dictator had eight children, most of whom played significant roles in his regime. His son Muatassim was killed at the same time Gaddafi was captured and slain. Two other sons, Seif al-Arab and Khamis, were killed earlier in the uprising.