Asked for asylum in Switzerland? Gaddafi's son Hannibal released from prison in Lebanon

The son of Libyan dictator Muammar al-Gaddafi spent around ten years in prison in Lebanon. He is now free. But not all the circumstances have been clarified.

DPA

11.11.2025, 06:11

11.11.2025, 06:44

dpa

Hannibal, the son of former Libyan dictator Muammar al-Gaddafi, who has been imprisoned in Lebanon for around ten years, has been released, according to his lawyer. "He has been released," Nassib Schedid confirmed to the German Press Agency.

According to the defense, Gaddafi was released on bail of 900,000 US dollars and the travel ban imposed on him was lifted.

Born in 1975, Gaddafi was arrested in Lebanon in 2015. He was accused of withholding information about the disappearance of Shia leader Musa Al-Sadr in Libya in 1978. The Shiite Amal militia in Lebanon holds the Gaddafi regime responsible for the disappearance of the Iranian-born cleric. Libya has always denied having anything to do with his disappearance.

15 years after diplomatic crisisMuammar al-Gaddafi's son seeks asylum in Switzerland

Gaddafi is said to have asked for asylum in Geneva

In the past, there had been conflicting reports about the fate of the Shia leader - some of which suggested that the late Libyan long-term ruler Muammar al-Gaddafi had ordered his assassination. The case has repeatedly strained relations between Lebanon and Libya and is still considered one of the most controversial matters in recent Lebanese history.

In June, citing family members, it was reported that Gaddafi had asked for asylum in Geneva - where he first landed in prison fifteen years ago. The incident triggered a serious diplomatic crisis between Switzerland and Libya.