A source close to the family of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi reported to Al-Arabiya channel on Tuesday that Saif al-Islam Gaddafi had died in mysterious circumstances south of the city of Zintan in western Libya.
In a related context, the political team affiliated with Saif al-Islam Gaddafi officially announced the death of the son of the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
For its part, the 444th Brigade denied any connection to the killing of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, and confirmed in a statement that it had nothing to do with the clashes that took place in the city of Zintan, explaining that “there is no military force or field deployment within the city of Zintan or within its geographical scope,” stressing that the brigade “is not concerned with what happened in Zintan and does not have any direct or indirect connection to the clashes there.”
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, born on June 5, 1972, is considered the son of the late Libyan leader. He played important roles in Libyan public affairs before 2011, as he was an influential leadership figure within the regime, despite not holding any official government position, and he led external negotiations and internal files before the collapse of the regime.
It is noteworthy that the death sentence issued against him was canceled in 2015, and the Libyan Supreme Court ordered his retrial, after he had been sentenced to death in absentia on charges related to incitement to civil war, genocide, abuse of power, issuing orders to kill demonstrators, harming public funds, and bringing in mercenaries to suppress protesters during the events of February 17, 2011.
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi was arrested after 2011, before being released in the city of Zintan in June 2017, after being held for several years by a militia.
