Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, son of late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, has been killed, sources close to his family, his lawyer Khaled el-Zaydi, and Libyan media reported on Tuesday, February 3, 2026. The exact details of how he died are still not clear, and there has been no official statement from Libya’s government yet.
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi was once one of the most powerful figures in Libya, and many people knew him for his political role before the 2011 uprising that toppled his father’s long rule. But in recent years, his public life had become quieter as political tensions and rival armed groups made Libya unstable.
Unclear Circumstances Around Death
Libyan media and sources say his death happened during clashes near Al-Hamada, though details vary and some local armed groups deny responsibility. There has been no confirmed official version of events yet.
Saif al-Islam’s life was tied to Libya’s dramatic modern history. Born in 1972, he was the second son of dictator Muammar Gaddafi and his second wife, Safia Farkash. Saif al-Islam Gaddafi was educated abroad and even studied at the London School of Economics, and he was once seen as a potential leader who could modernise his country.
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi: Once a Powerful Political Figure
However, when the Arab Spring reached Libya in 2011, Saif sided with his father and helped lead the brutal crackdown on protesters. In a broadcast at the time, he warned that “All of Libya will be destroyed. We will need 40 years to reach an agreement because today, everyone will want to be president,” reflecting his deep belief in keeping the old regime.
According to reports, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi was captured later in 2011 while trying to escape and spent several years in detention. In 2015, a Libyan court sentenced him to death in absentia for suppressing protests, and the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for war crimes.
In 2021, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi attempted a political comeback by registering for Libya’s presidential election, but that effort collapsed amid political strife.
