Hannibal Gaddafi remains ‘detained’ in Lebanon despite being released after ten years in prison

His deteriorating health, exacerbated by his long imprisonment, coupled with the assassinationof his brother Saif al-Islam, prevents him from leaving the country safely.

Soldecasnarias.net

Hannibal Gaddafi remains in Lebanon, detained not by force, not of his own volition, but due to several circumstances, some very serious. One of these concerns his own safety, now threatened by the assassination of his brother Saif al-Islam, which raises fears for his life. The other concerns his health, aggravated by his long imprisonment in that country.

The Lebanese government, and especially the Libyan government, have not taken any action to guarantee the safety and security of Hannibal Gaddafi, who is unjustly 'confined' in a country that for many years subjected him to a prison-like state, which has undoubtedly affected him greatly.

It should be recalled that Lebanese authorities released Hannibal Gaddafi, son of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, on November 10, 2015, ending nearly 10 years of arbitrary detention without trial, he stated. While the judicial authorities' decision to end the unlawful treatment of Gaddafi is a step in the right direction, one that should have been taken long ago, they should also formally drop all unfounded charges against him and provide adequate compensation for his unlawful detention.

The judicial investigator in the case, Zaher Hamadeh, initially ordered Gaddafi's release on October 17, but it was initially conditional on the payment of an $11 million bond and a two-month travel ban. Following an appeal by Gaddafi's lawyers, the judicial authorities reduced his bond to $900,000 and lifted the travel ban on November 6. Authorities released Gaddafi on November 10, but have not formally dropped charges related to "concealing information" about the 1978 disappearance of Lebanese cleric Imam Moussa al-Sadr in Libya, when Gaddafi was two years old, according to two of his lawyers.

Lebanon’s Internal Security Forces arrested Gaddafi in December 2015 on seemingly unfounded accusations that he concealed information about the disappearance of al-Sadr in Libya in 1978, along with two companions. The cleric’s fate remains a sensitive political issue in Lebanon.

Before his arrest, Gaddafi resided primarily in Syria with his family after fleeing Libya in 2011 during the uprising against his father’s rule. However, in 2015, armed men kidnapped him in Syria, near the Lebanese border, after reportedly luring him into what he believed was a journalistic interview. In December 2015, Hamadeh issued an arrest warrant for Gaddafi, formally accusing him of concealing information about al-Sadr’s disappearance in 2016, according to two of his lawyers.

No one should be imprisoned for 10 years without trial. Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Lebanon is a party, states that “everyone arrested or detained on a criminal charge shall be brought promptly before a judge or other officer authorized by law to exercise judicial power and shall be entitled to trial within a reasonable time or to release.” Even if released, everyone has the right to a trial without undue delay. According to the ICCPR, those who have been subjected to unlawful arrest or detention “shall be entitled to effective compensation.”

The Lebanese authorities must investigate and hold accountable those responsible for Gaddafi’s horrific ordeal. “They must also guarantee respect for the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary so that others do not suffer the same fate” and take steps to ensure he has a safe and dignified exit, which he deserves