Lebanese authorities have ordered the release of Hannibal Gadhafi, son of Libya’s late leader Moammar Gadhafi, after nearly a decade behind bars — provided he can pay $11 million in bail. The ruling, issued Friday by Judge Zaher Hamadeh at Beirut’s Justice Palace, also bars Gadhafi from leaving Lebanon for two months following his release.
Gadhafi, who has been detained since 2015, has never been formally charged. His imprisonment stems from his abduction by Lebanese militants demanding information about the disappearance of Shiite cleric Moussa al-Sadr during a 1978 visit to Libya. Lebanese authorities took custody of him shortly after his abduction and have held him at a Beirut detention facility ever since.
The high-profile case remains a deeply sensitive issue in Lebanon. Al-Sadr’s family believes he may still be alive in a Libyan prison, though many Lebanese assume he was killed decades ago.
Gadhafi’s lawyers have repeatedly called for his release, citing deteriorating health and a prolonged hunger strike last year. Libya formally requested his release in 2023 on humanitarian grounds. One of his lawyers, Charbel Milad al-Khoury, told The Associated Press that Gadhafi currently lacks the funds or access to accounts to pay the bail amount.
The decision marks a major development in a case that has entangled Lebanese judicial authorities and the Gadhafi family for years, though it remains unclear whether Gadhafi will be able to meet the financial conditions to secure his freedom.