Legal moves and public pressure inside Libya, particularly from supporters of the former regime, have intensified in recent weeks, demanding that authorities disclose the circumstances surrounding the killing of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi.
Saif al-Islam, son of Libya’s late leader Moammar Gaddafi, was killed in the western city of Zintan on Feb. 3, 100 days ago.
Since Libyan Attorney General al-Siddiq al-Sour announced on March 5 that three suspects had been identified in connection with the crime - without revealing their names - public calls have grown for the full investigation findings to be released, for those behind the incident to be identified, and for all those involved to be brought to trial in order to ensure transparency and justice.
A Libyan source familiar with the matter in the capital, Tripoli, confirmed that new legal efforts are underway in the case.
Asharq Al-Awsat learned that Khaled al-Zaidi, head of the defense team in the Saif al-Islam assassination case, visited the office of the head of the Supreme Judicial Council, counselor Abdullah Abu Rzeiza, in Tripoli on Sunday morning. No details were disclosed about the visit or the issues discussed.
The same source, who requested anonymity, said that “these legal moves could lead to positive results and developments that may help uncover the truth and push the case toward greater clarity in the coming period,” without elaborating further.
Additionally, an initiative known as the “National Truth Committee on the Saif al-Islam Gaddafi Case” launched an online public petition calling on the attorney general to disclose details of the crime and announce the investigation results publicly, stressing the need to uphold the law and ensure the principles of justice.
The petition also called for legal measures against the three individuals referred to in the attorney general’s office statement, as well as an expansion of the investigation to include anyone who planned, participated in, financed or assisted in carrying out the crime.
At the same time, public pressure has increased across Libya. The Conference of Social and Political Activities and Civil Society Institutions in Fezzan called on the attorney general to clarify the reasons behind the delay in arresting the suspects, saying the continued ambiguity has raised widespread questions among the public.
Political activist Dr. Khaled al-Hijazi, who is close to the former regime, said the public pressure was “logical,” given that “the assassination of Saif al-Islam is a public opinion issue that cannot be ignored or covered up.”
He told Asharq Al-Awsat that “the importance of the case is compounded by its connection to a public political figure who previously ran in a presidential race and enjoys significant popular support inside the country.”
A source in the public prosecution office had previously told Asharq Al-Awsat that investigations into the case were still ongoing, in response to unofficial accounts circulating in Libya regarding the identities and regional affiliations of the perpetrators.
