Rights Group calls for release of Moamer Kadhafi’s son after 8 years in detention

Human Rights Watch urges Lebanon to release Hannibal Kadhafi, the son of Libya’s former dictator Moamer Kadhafi, who has been held on ‘spurious charges’ for years

Human Rights Watch (HRW) Tuesday urged Lebanon to release Hannibal Kadhafi, the son of Libya’s former dictator Moamer Kadhafi, who has been held on what the organization deems “spurious charges” for the past eight years.

Hannibal Kadhafi, known for his lavish lifestyle, was arrested by Lebanon in 2015 and accused of withholding information regarding the disappearance of Lebanese Shiite cleric Imam Mussa Sadr in 1978.

HRW disputes the charges, asserting that Hannibal Kadhafi was only two years old at the time of the cleric’s disappearance, and accuses Lebanon of subjecting him to an “apparent arbitrary detention on spurious charges.”

Hanan Salah, spokesperson for HRW, condemned the prolonged pre-trial detention, stating, “Spending eight years in pre-trial detention makes a mockery of Lebanon’s already strained judicial system.”

Imam Mussa Sadr, founder of the Amal movement, disappeared during an official visit to Libya in 1978, along with an aide and a journalist. Beirut attributed the disappearances to Moamer Kadhafi, who was overthrown and killed in a 2011 uprising, leading to strained ties between Lebanon and Libya.

While acknowledging the desire for answers regarding Sadr’s disappearance, Salah emphasized the unlawfulness of holding someone in pre-trial detention for an extended period merely based on their possible association with the alleged wrongdoer.

A Lebanese judicial official dismissed HRW’s report as “biased and one-sided,” claiming it relied solely on information from Hannibal Kadhafi’s defense team.

The official stated that Hannibal Kadhafi is detained in a purely judicial matter, emphasizing his alleged responsibility for prisons during his father’s rule, including the one where Imam Sadr was held.

In June, a judicial official informed Agence France-Presse (AFP) that Hannibal Kadhafi’s case had been put on hold, pending information from Libyan authorities.

In August, Lebanon received a letter from Libyan authorities demanding Kadhafi’s release, but a judicial source revealed that his release was contingent on Tripoli disclosing information about Sadr’s disappearance.

Amal movement chief Nabih Berri accused Libya of “failing to cooperate” with the Lebanese judiciary and “concealing” information about the case in August, further escalating tensions between the two nations.

Source: AFP