After nearly a decade behind bars in Lebanon, Hannibal Gaddafi, the youngest son of Libya’s former ruler Muammar Gaddafi, walked free on Monday, November 10, 2025, following the payment of a substantial bail. His release brings to a close a long and controversial saga that has tested the ties between Lebanon and Libya, while shining a spotlight on the intersection of politics, justice, and international relations in the Middle East.
Hannibal Gaddafi’s ordeal began in December 2015, when he was abducted by militants in Syria, where he had sought refuge with his Lebanese wife and children after the violent 2011 uprising that toppled and killed his father. According to AFP and the National News Agency, armed men transported him to Lebanon, where authorities swiftly took custody of him. The Lebanese government accused Gaddafi of concealing information about the fate of Imam Musa al-Sadr, a prominent Lebanese Shi’ite cleric who vanished during an official visit to Libya in 1978, along with two companions.
The disappearance of Sadr, the founder of the Amal movement and an ally of Hezbollah, has haunted Lebanon for nearly half a century. Beirut blamed the incident on then-Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi, and the unresolved case has soured relations between the two countries ever since. Yet, as multiple outlets including the Associated Press and Reuters reported, Hannibal Gaddafi was only two years old at the time of Sadr’s disappearance and never held any senior official position in Libya as an adult.
Despite the circumstances, Lebanese authorities detained Gaddafi in pre-trial custody for nearly ten years, never bringing him to trial. Human rights organizations repeatedly condemned the detention, labeling the charges as “spurious” and raising concerns about due process. “If Gaddafi was able to be arbitrarily detained in Lebanon for 10 years, it’s because the justice system was not independent,” said Gaddafi’s French lawyer, Laurent Bayon, in comments to AFP. He added that the recent move towards his client’s release “reflected a restoration of judicial independence under Lebanon’s reformist government that was formed in January.”
Throughout his incarceration, Gaddafi’s health deteriorated. In 2023, he launched a hunger strike to protest his imprisonment, which led to hospitalization and furthered calls for his release. The legal process, however, remained slow and fraught with setbacks. In mid-October 2025, a Lebanese judge finally ordered Gaddafi’s release on bail, but set the amount at a staggering $11 million, while also issuing a travel ban. Gaddafi’s lawyers pushed back, arguing that he could not pay such a sum and requesting permission for him to leave the country.
Negotiations between Libyan and Lebanese authorities intensified in the weeks that followed. A Libyan delegation visited Beirut, making headway on talks for Gaddafi’s release. Their efforts bore fruit on Thursday, November 6, 2025, when Lebanon’s judiciary reduced the bail to approximately $900,000—about 80 billion Lebanese pounds—and lifted the travel ban. The bail was paid by the Libyan delegation, as confirmed by the Justice Ministry of the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity (GNU) on its social media platforms and by several Lebanese judicial and security officials.
“Gaddafi’s release came after his defence lawyers paid the bail,” Lebanon’s National News Agency reported. Charbel Milad al-Khoury, a member of Gaddafi’s defense team, told the Associated Press that the release was finalized on Monday evening after all necessary paperwork was completed. Gaddafi’s French lawyer, Laurent Bayon, described the moment as “the end of a nightmare for him that lasted 10 years.” Bayon also indicated that Gaddafi would leave Lebanon for a “confidential” destination, noting that he holds a Libyan passport.
The release marks a significant diplomatic moment. The Tripoli-based GNU, led by Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah, publicly expressed gratitude to the Lebanese president and parliament speaker for their cooperation. In a statement, the GNU welcomed “the sincere intentions expressed by the Lebanese leadership to reactivate diplomatic relations between the two countries and to develop cooperation in the political, economic, and security fields.” After years of mutual suspicion—rooted in the unresolved Sadr case—there is cautious optimism that both nations may now turn the page and rebuild ties.
Yet, the shadow of the Sadr disappearance lingers. The cleric’s fate remains a source of pain and political tension in Lebanon, where he is revered by many in the Shi’ite community. The Amal movement, which he founded, is now a key ally of Hezbollah and a major player in Lebanese politics. Over the decades, Lebanon has blamed the Libyan regime for Sadr’s vanishing, with Muammar Gaddafi’s role a particular focus of anger. However, with Muammar Gaddafi overthrown and killed in the 2011 uprising, and Hannibal Gaddafi having been a child at the time of the disappearance, the legal case against the younger Gaddafi has always been fraught with controversy.
In the words of Gaddafi’s lawyer Bayon, “Hannibal Gaddafi will finally be free.” For his client, the ordeal has been deeply personal. Married to Lebanese model Aline Skaf, Gaddafi’s life has been marked by exile, abduction, and a decade-long battle for freedom. His release is unlikely to satisfy all parties—especially those still seeking answers about Imam Musa al-Sadr—but it does mark the end of a long and bitter chapter.
Looking ahead, observers will be watching to see whether Lebanon’s reformist government, credited by Gaddafi’s legal team with restoring some measure of judicial independence, can deliver further change. The case has exposed the vulnerabilities of Lebanon’s justice system, as well as the enduring influence of regional politics on legal proceedings. For Libya, the release offers a chance to mend fences and pursue a more constructive relationship with Beirut. For Lebanon, it is an opportunity—however fraught—to move beyond a painful history and focus on the future.
As the dust settles, Hannibal Gaddafi’s release stands as a reminder of the complexities and human costs of unresolved political grievances. The world, and especially those directly touched by the Sadr case, will be watching to see what comes next.