Libyan militia responsible for Gaddafi's son imprisonment confirms release

Commander of the Abu-bakr al-Siddiq militia, who held Seif al-Islam Gadhafi in their custody since 2011, confirm he has been freed amid contradictory reports over his continued imprisonment.

MENA

2 min read

The New Arab

08 July, 2016

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi was imprisoned by the battalion in Zintan in 2011 [AFP]

The son of ousted Libyan dictator Moammar Gaddafi has been released from prison despite contradictory reports emerging over his whereabouts, The New Arab has learned.

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, who was granted general amnesty last year by the rival Libyan administration based in the east of the country, was released according to his lawyer who spoke to France 24 on Wednesday.

But local reports soon followed that Gaddafi was still in prison and will not be released despite the amnesty.

Commander of Abu-bakr al-Siddiq militia and head of Zintan's judicial police authorities in charge of Saif al-Islam's detention, confirmed his release.

"As [Gaddafi] was in our custody and we are in charge of implementing the amnesty issued by parliament on prisoners in Zintan, I can confirm that he was released from prison on Wednesday and he is currently in a safe location exercising complete freedom," al-Ajami al-Atiri told The New Arab.

The militia chose not to surrender Gaddafi to the International Criminal Court [ICC], where he is wanted for crimes against humanity.

"We are not concerned with the international tribunal as the ICC did not ask us to hand him over," al-Atiri told The New Arab.

Saif al-Islam was imprisoned by the battalion in Zintan in 2011.

He was sentenced to death in absentia by a court in Tripoli in July 2015 for involvement in the killing of protesters during the uprising that toppled his father.