Lebanon Urged to Release Hannibal Gaddafi, Detained Over False Allegations Tied to Events When He Was Two Years Old

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on Lebanese authorities to immediately release Hannibal Gaddafi, son of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, who has been held in pre-trial detention since December 2015.

Gaddafi was arrested by Lebanon’s Internal Security Forces over allegations that he withheld information about the 1978 disappearance of Lebanese cleric Moussa al-Sadr. HRW noted that Gaddafi was only two years old at the time of al-Sadr’s disappearance and described the charges as unsubstantiated.

Following a recent prison visit, HRW reported that Gaddafi is confined to a windowless underground cell and suffers from malnutrition, vitamin deficiency, and deteriorating mental health due to prolonged isolation. He also described physical injuries sustained during his initial abduction near the Syrian border in 2015.

HRW emphasized that Gaddafi’s detention violates international legal standards, including Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which prohibits arbitrary detention. The organization cited Lebanon’s judicial backlog, with over 80% of detainees awaiting trial, as further evidence of systemic issues.

HRW researcher Ramzi Kaiss stated that the case reflects a judiciary vulnerable to political interference and urged authorities to end Gaddafi’s decade-long detention.

You can read HRW’s full statement on their official website.

Excerpts from jurist.org article by Samara Baboolal | JURIST Staff, GB