Leaked photographs and reports of special treatment have reignited tensions surrounding the detention of Hannibal Gaddafi, son of the late Libyan dictator Moammar Gaddafi, in Lebanon.
The images, broadcast by Lebanese TV station Al-Jadeed, show a cramped, windowless cell at Beirut police headquarters where Gaddafi has been held for years.
Al-Jadeed also quoted Gaddafi as calling his situation “misery” and claiming he is a political prisoner.
Lebanese officials confirmed the photos’ authenticity, while a Libyan source familiar with Gaddafi said they were taken recently. Gaddafi appears healthy in the pictures, sporting a beard and glasses.
These revelations come amidst accusations of preferential treatment for Gaddafi, including cosmetic surgeries. Al-Jadeed reported him saying he’d rather forgo such luxuries in exchange for freedom. Gaddafi previously went on a hunger strike in 2023 due to his conditions.
The Libyan government responded swiftly, demanding Lebanon improve Gaddafi’s living conditions and uphold his legal rights. They also renewed calls for his release.
Gaddafi has been detained in Lebanon since 2015 following his abduction from Syria, where he sought refuge.
Lebanese authorities accuse him of withholding information about the 1978 disappearance of prominent Shiite cleric Imam Moussa al-Sadr in Libya.
Al-Sadr’s fate remains a sensitive topic in Lebanon, with his family clinging to hope he might be alive while others presume him dead.
Talks aimed at resolving the situation, including reactivating a 2014 agreement for cooperation, stalled in January 2024 when a Libyan delegation failed to return to Beirut.
The case highlights the complex political landscape surrounding Gaddafi’s detention. While Libya demands his release, some in Lebanon view him as a key to uncovering al-Sadr’s fate, a pivotal figure for the Lebanese Shiite community.
The leaked photos and reports of preferential treatment further complicate the situation, raising questions about Lebanon’s handling of the case and Gaddafi’s true living conditions.
