The Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS) is gravely concerned by the latest manifestation of political violence in Libya following the assassination of Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi. The extrajudicial killing is a missed opportunity for the Libyan people to see a fair trial for past violations. The only path to prevent further violations is to ensure social peace, reconciliation, and non-repetition. CIHRS highlights that under international human rights law, the right to life cannot be arbitrarily deprived, regardless of an individual’s participation in any crimes, political position or public role.
Gaddafi was reportedly killed in Zintan (western Libya) on 3 February 2026 in unclear circumstances. Media reported that four masked gunmen entered his home and shot him to death; no group has claimed responsibility.
In the meantime, the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) announced that a criminal investigation had already been opened. The OAG said that on receipt of the death report, investigators took the actions advised by the Attorney General: they gathered information, carried out inspections on the scene, and called witnesses. On Tuesday 3 February 2006, investigators, accompanied by forensic doctors and specialists in firearms, fingerprints, toxicology and other fields, examined the body and confirmed that he had been killed by gunfire. The Office said that investigations were still ongoing.
While welcoming the announcement on the opening of an investigation, CIHRS reiterates that its credibility will be closely linked to its independence, transparency and freedom from interference by armed actors or political authorities.
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, son of the ousted Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi (1976 – 2011), had long projected himself as an urbane modernizer and reformer, who was intellectually attuned to Western diplomatic and economic circles, even appearing at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. That image evaporated at the beginning of the 2011 revolution, when he publicly called for the “demons of the rebellions to be crushed in blood”. After 2011, he was arrested by an armed group and sentenced to death in absentia by a Tripoli court in 2015 for war crimes. In June 2017, the Abu Bakr al-Siddiq Brigade announced it had freed him under an “amnesty” issued by eastern authorities, while the ICC prosecutor reiterated that Libya remained obliged to arrest and surrender him considering its still-valid arrest warrant. The Hague-based court prosecuted him for crimes against humanity committed during the 2011 crackdown. He attempted a political comeback amid Libya’s repeatedly delayed electoral process, seeking a political revival.
The extrajudicial killing of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi should be placed in the context of Libya’s broader trend of violence replacing justice and accountability. In May 2025, CIHRS and the Libya Platform Coalition for Human Rights raised concerns about the extra-judicial killing of Abdelghani al-Kikli (“Ghneiwa”), leader of the Stability Support Apparatus. While in custody of Brigade 444 Combat, an armed group linked to the Defense ministry led by the incumbent PM Abdulhamid Dbeibeh. His death sparked deadly clashes in Tripoli and pointed to the risks of armed groups operating above the law. To date, the OAG has not informed the public about the outcomes of the investigations, if any.
As demonstrated in previous cases, that incident showed how political murders can quickly lead to civilian unrest and greater insecurity, particularly when nobody is held to account. CIHRS is of a view that there is an existent pattern of armed group influence and interference in Libya’s justice system while political fragmentation has produced multiple legal orders that undermine and hinder accountability and the rule of law. Hence, judicial actors operate within a system defined by insecurity, institutional chaos, and political interference.
CIHRS stresses that no shortcut, be it political or military, will prevent the need for rule of law and genuine accountability in Libya. Whether committed in the past by the former regime or in the present by the current, any attempted accountability process should be conducted by impartial and independent judicial systems with respect for human rights and the right to life.
CIHRS calls on:
- The Office of the Attorney General to guarantee that the investigation into the killing of Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi is independent, comprehensive, and transparent, including protecting witnesses, securing forensic evidence, and publicly explaining the investigatory process and measures to exclude interference, and that all suspects, affiliated or not, shall stand trial before competent courts.
- The authorities in Tripoli and all relevant de facto forces to take concrete measures to prevent reprisals and further violence, and to publicly and unequivocally reject political violence.
- All Libyan political actors to resolve disputes through peaceful means and lawful institutions, recognizing that assassinations deepen fragmentation.
- The United Nations and concerned states to support credible accountability pathways in Libya and strengthen international support of evidence preservation and victim-centered accountability efforts.
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