Lebanon Orders Release of Son of Libyan Leader on $11m Bail Amid Controversy Over Shia Leader's Disappearance.
A Lebanese court has granted bail to Hannibal Gaddafi, the youngest son of late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, allowing him to be released on $11 million under strict conditions. The decision was made in connection with a case related to the disappearance of Lebanon's revered Shia leader Musa al-Sadr in Libya in 1978.
Gaddafi, 49, has been held in pre-trial detention in Lebanon since 2015 without being charged or tried. His lawyers claim he cannot afford the large bail fee, and his lawyer, Laurent Bayon, described the release as "totally unacceptable" and vowed to challenge the decision.
The case centers on Gaddafi's alleged withholding of information about al-Sadr's disappearance during a visit to Libya in 1978. Al-Sadr vanished along with an aide and journalist, leaving behind a trail of unanswered questions and allegations of official involvement by Gaddafi's regime.
Gaddafi's detention has sparked international attention, with Human Rights Watch urging Lebanon to release him due to what it described as "apparently unsubstantiated allegations" against him. The organization said he had been wrongly imprisoned without trial.
The Lebanese government's decision to release Gaddafi is seen by some as an attempt to extract answers about al-Sadr's disappearance in exchange for his cooperation. However, the move has also drawn criticism from al-Sadr's family, who have expressed surprise at the bail ruling and stated that their primary concern remains the missing imam.
Gaddafi was hospitalised last week due to abdominal pain, raising concerns over his deteriorating health. Libyan authorities had earlier formally requested Lebanon's cooperation in freeing Gaddafi, citing his poor health as a condition for his release.
A Lebanese court has granted bail to Hannibal Gaddafi, the youngest son of late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, allowing him to be released on $11 million under strict conditions. The decision was made in connection with a case related to the disappearance of Lebanon's revered Shia leader Musa al-Sadr in Libya in 1978.
Gaddafi, 49, has been held in pre-trial detention in Lebanon since 2015 without being charged or tried. His lawyers claim he cannot afford the large bail fee, and his lawyer, Laurent Bayon, described the release as "totally unacceptable" and vowed to challenge the decision.
The case centers on Gaddafi's alleged withholding of information about al-Sadr's disappearance during a visit to Libya in 1978. Al-Sadr vanished along with an aide and journalist, leaving behind a trail of unanswered questions and allegations of official involvement by Gaddafi's regime.
Gaddafi's detention has sparked international attention, with Human Rights Watch urging Lebanon to release him due to what it described as "apparently unsubstantiated allegations" against him. The organization said he had been wrongly imprisoned without trial.
The Lebanese government's decision to release Gaddafi is seen by some as an attempt to extract answers about al-Sadr's disappearance in exchange for his cooperation. However, the move has also drawn criticism from al-Sadr's family, who have expressed surprise at the bail ruling and stated that their primary concern remains the missing imam.
Gaddafi was hospitalised last week due to abdominal pain, raising concerns over his deteriorating health. Libyan authorities had earlier formally requested Lebanon's cooperation in freeing Gaddafi, citing his poor health as a condition for his release.