Lebanon Lifts Travel Ban and Reduces Bail for Muammar Qaddafi's Son
Lebanese authorities have lifted a travel ban and reduced bail for Hannibal Qaddafi, paving the way for his release.
Beirut, Lebanon - Lebanese authorities have decided to lift the travel ban and reduce the bail for Hannibal Qaddafi, the son of the late Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi.
This decision comes after a Libyan delegation's visit to Lebanon where they discussed the release of Qaddafi.
In October, a Lebanese judge initially ordered his release on $11 million bail, but prohibited him from leaving the country due to financial constraints and travel restrictions.
The recent reduction of his bail to 80 billion Lebanese pounds (approximately $900,000) and the lifting of the travel ban now allow him to leave Lebanon once he pays the bail.
Judicial officials indicate that Qaddafi has chosen to depart Lebanon after his release, with plans for his family to follow later.
This move follows a decade-long detention without trial, during which Qaddafi faced allegations of withholding information regarding the disappearance of Lebanese cleric Moussa Al-Sadr in 1978.
Libya formally requested Qaddafi's release in 2023 due to concerns over his health following a hunger strike protest against his prolonged detention.
Qaddafi was originally residing in Syria with his Lebanese wife, Aline Skaf, and children before being abducted in 2015 by Lebanese militants demanding information about Al-Sadr.
Subsequently, he has been held in a Beirut jail, where he faced interrogation regarding the cleric's disappearance.
The case remains a significant issue in Lebanon, with Al-Sadr's family believing he may still be alive in a Libyan prison, though most Lebanese presume him dead at this point.
Al-Sadr, along with companions Abbas Badreddine and Mohammed Yacoub, went missing in 1978 as the founder of a Shiite political and military group involved in the Lebanese civil war between Muslims and Christians from 1975 to 1990.
Muammar Qaddafi himself was killed during Libya's uprising and ensuing civil war in 2011, marking the end of his four-decade rule over North Africa.
This decision comes after a Libyan delegation's visit to Lebanon where they discussed the release of Qaddafi.
In October, a Lebanese judge initially ordered his release on $11 million bail, but prohibited him from leaving the country due to financial constraints and travel restrictions.
The recent reduction of his bail to 80 billion Lebanese pounds (approximately $900,000) and the lifting of the travel ban now allow him to leave Lebanon once he pays the bail.
Judicial officials indicate that Qaddafi has chosen to depart Lebanon after his release, with plans for his family to follow later.
This move follows a decade-long detention without trial, during which Qaddafi faced allegations of withholding information regarding the disappearance of Lebanese cleric Moussa Al-Sadr in 1978.
Libya formally requested Qaddafi's release in 2023 due to concerns over his health following a hunger strike protest against his prolonged detention.
Qaddafi was originally residing in Syria with his Lebanese wife, Aline Skaf, and children before being abducted in 2015 by Lebanese militants demanding information about Al-Sadr.
Subsequently, he has been held in a Beirut jail, where he faced interrogation regarding the cleric's disappearance.
The case remains a significant issue in Lebanon, with Al-Sadr's family believing he may still be alive in a Libyan prison, though most Lebanese presume him dead at this point.
Al-Sadr, along with companions Abbas Badreddine and Mohammed Yacoub, went missing in 1978 as the founder of a Shiite political and military group involved in the Lebanese civil war between Muslims and Christians from 1975 to 1990.
Muammar Qaddafi himself was killed during Libya's uprising and ensuing civil war in 2011, marking the end of his four-decade rule over North Africa.
