Saif al-Islam Gaddafi was widely regarded as one of the country’s most powerful and controversial figures after his father, who governed Libya from 1969 until he was overthrown and killed during the 2011 uprising.

Born in 1972, he was closely involved in Libya’s efforts to rebuild ties with Western nations in the early 2000s, a period that lasted until the fall of the Gaddafi administration.

Following the collapse of the regime, he was detained by a militia group in Zintan and remained in captivity for nearly six years. He was accused of being heavily involved in the violent crackdown on anti-government protests during the 2011 revolt.

The International Criminal Court sought to prosecute him on charges of crimes against humanity related to the suppression of dissent during the uprising. In 2015, a Libyan court sentenced him to death in absentia over his alleged role in the government’s response to protests.

Despite holding no formal government position, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi was influential in shaping key policies and was involved in major diplomatic negotiations. Among these was Libya’s decision to dismantle its nuclear weapons programme, a move that led to the removal of international sanctions and helped project him as a figure associated with reform.

He consistently denied ambitions to succeed his father, once stating that leadership was “not something to be inherited like property”. Nevertheless, in 2021, he declared his intention to contest Libya’s presidential election, which was later postponed indefinitely.