Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the most prominent son of slain Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, has been killed in the country’s western city of Zintan.Saif al-Islam, who was 53 when he was killed, was Gaddafi’s second son and had been based in Zintan since 2011 – first in prison, and then, after 2017, as a free man, plotting a return to politics.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listFigures close to him, including his political adviser, Abdullah Othman, and his lawyer, Khaled el-Zaydi, confirmed his death on Tuesday, although the exact circumstances are still unclear.Saif al-Islam had been seen by many before the 2011 uprising as his father’s heir-apparent and the second-most powerful man in Libya.He remained prominent throughout the violence that gripped Libya in the wake of the Arab Spring protests, which led to a civil war. There were numerous allegations against him of torture and extreme violence against opponents of his father’s rule. By February 2011, he was on a United Nations sanctions list and was banned from travelling. Saif al-Islam Gaddafi (left), son of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, registers to run in presidential elections in 2021 [Libyan Electoral Commission Handout via EPA-EFE]In March 2011, NATO began bombing Libya after the UN authorised “all necessary measures” to protect civilians from Gaddafi’s forces in the civil war.In June 2011, Saif al-Islam announced that his father was willing to hold elections and to step down if he did not win them. However, NATO rejected the offer, and the bombardment of Libya continued. Advertisement As an internationally prominent negotiator and influencer, Saif al-Islam could claim a number of victories and prominent roles.By the end of June 2011, the In …
