Libyan Attorneys have opened an investigation into the killing of Seif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of Libya’s longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi, after he was shot dead at his home in the western city of Zintan, authorities said on Wednesday.
The shooting occurred on Tuesday, according to a statement from the prosecutor’s office, marking a high-profile killing in a country still grappling with years of political turmoil and insecurity.
The prosecutor’s office said Seif al-Islam died from gunshot wounds and confirmed that investigators had begun gathering evidence.
No suspects have been named, and no group has claimed responsibility for the killing.
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According to Seif al-Islam’s lawyer, Marcel Ceccaldi, his client was killed when an unidentified “four-man commando” stormed his residence in Zintan.
Ceccaldi said “the attackers entered the house and opened fire, fatally wounding him”.
The lawyer did not provide further details about the identities or possible motives of the assailants.
Neither of Libya’s rival governing authorities immediately commented on the death.
The UN-backed government based in Tripoli and the eastern administration allied with military commander Khalifa Haftar have both remained silent on the case, underscoring the deep political divisions that continue to shape Libya’s response to major national events.
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The only public reaction came from Moussa al-Kouni, vice-president of Libya’s Presidential Council and a representative of the southern Fezzan region.
Writing on X, formerly known as Twitter, al-Kouni condemned the killing and warned against the use of violence in political disputes.
“No to political assassinations, no to achieving demands by force, and no to violence as a language or a means of expression,” he wrote, calling for restraint and respect for the rule of law.
Libya has struggled to restore stability since a NATO-backed uprising in 2011 led to the overthrow and killing of Muammar Gaddafi.
Zintan, located in western Libya, has played a prominent role in the country’s post-2011 conflict and has at times been controlled by powerful local militias.
Persistent insecurity and the presence of armed groups have made investigations into violent crimes particularly challenging.
The killing of Seif al-Islam Gaddafi adds to concerns about political violence and the rule of law in Libya, as prosecutors attempt to pursue accountability amid ongoing divisions.