After Nearly 10 Years Without Trial, Hannibal Gaddafi — Son of Libya’s Late Leader — Walks Free from Lebanese Detention in a $900,000 Bail Deal

Hannibal Gaddafi, the youngest son of Libya’s late leader Muammar Gaddafi, was released from Lebanese detention on Monday after almost ten years without a trial. He is 50 years old and left custody after bail was paid.

Lebanese authorities first seized Mr Gaddafi in 2015 in a case linked to the disappearance of the Lebanese Shia cleric Musa al Sadr in 1978. At the time of that disappearance Hannibal was two years old and had no role in government. Human rights groups had long called the charges unfair.

His legal team said the payment that secured his release was $900,000(£682,938), a marked drop from an earlier eleven million set by a judge in October. Lawyers said the higher figure was reduced after an appeal by the defence and that the final sum was arranged through legal channels.

Laurent Bayon, one of his lawyers, spoke to reporters after the release. He said: “It’s the end of a nightmare for him that lasted 10 years.” The tone was quiet. The words were plain. The relief was visible.

Mr Bayon added a sharp note about Lebanon’s courts. “If Gaddafi was able to be arbitrarily detained in Lebanon for 10 years, it’s because the justice system was not independent,” Bayon said, according to AFP. That view will find both supporters and critics in equal measure.

Officials said Mr Gaddafi will leave Lebanon for a “confidential” destination. No country was named and no timetable was offered. His lawyers said travel restrictions were lifted and the paperwork was complete.

The case has been a long simmering cause of strain between Libya and Lebanon. Musa al Sadr vanished nearly fifty years ago and his fate remains a serious wound for many in Lebanon. The case has carried weight well beyond the people directly involved.

Hannibal Gaddafi’s own life has been a change of scenes. After his father’s fall in 2011 he fled to Syria and later lived under house arrest in Oman with his wife Aline Skaf. He was briefly taken by an armed group in Lebanon in 2015 before being freed and then detained by authorities.

For a man once known for a lavish life the past decade has been anything but bright. The release came without fanfare. A lawyer paid bail and a judge signed the papers. It was bureaucratic and final at the same time.

Families and campaigners in Lebanon reacted with mixed feelings. Some said they want more truth about Musa al Sadr and they will keep pushing for answers. Others focused on the legal faults the case revealed and called for change in the courts.

Human rights groups say long detentions without trial are a problem wherever they happen. They pointed to this case as an example and urged reforms in the legal system. Critics of the release will point to unresolved questions about Musa al Sadr and demand answers.