Khaberni - According to Lebanese media, the release of Hannibal Gaddafi, who has experienced a deterioration in his health inside Lebanon, is conditioned on providing accurate information about the disappearance of Musa al-Sadr and his companions in Libya, as well as handing over a copy of the independent investigations conducted by the Lebanese authorities to Libya.
Hannibal Gaddafi's lawyer, son of the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, reported that the latter is suffering from a concerning health condition that requires urgent medical attention, urging the Lebanese authorities to release him immediately.
It is noted that Lebanon detained Hannibal Gaddafi in December 2015 on charges of "withholding information" related to the disappearance of the prominent Shiite cleric Imam Musa al-Sadr and his companions during their visit to Libya on August 31, 1978. His French lawyer, Laurent Bayon, confirmed that Gaddafi (49 years old) suffers from severe depression and was recently hospitalized urgently due to acute stomach pains before being returned to prison, with assurances that he will undergo intensive medical care.
Human Rights Watch has called on the Lebanese authorities to release Hannibal, considering his detention based on unproven allegations concerning information withholding related to al-Sadr's disappearance.
It is noted that Musa al-Sadr played a prominent political role in Lebanon during the seventies and was lost during a visit to Libya. The Shiite leadership in Lebanon holds his father Muammar Gaddafi responsible for his disappearance, while the former Libyan regime denied any involvement, insisting that al-Sadr and his companions left Tripoli headed to Italy, which was denied by the Italian authorities.
Hannibal Gaddafi had sought political asylum in Syria before being lured to Lebanon by a group led by former MP Hassan Yaacoub, whose father disappeared with al-Sadr. His lawyer described Hannibal's situation as political detention due to the lack of cooperation between the Lebanese and Libyan authorities, pointing out that the only reason for his continued detention is his association with his father's name, demanding his immediate release.
In contrast, Hannibal Gaddafi insists on his innocence in the case of Musa al-Sadr's disappearance, noting that he does not have any information about the incident because it occurred when he was only two years old.
The Ministry of Justice of the Government of National Unity in Libya holds the Lebanese authorities fully responsible for the health and life of Hannibal Gaddafi, after his health condition deteriorated inside his prison and he was transferred to the hospital, indicating that his detention has continued for years through illegal procedures.
The Ministry also criticized the Lebanese authorities for ignoring Libyan diplomatic and judicial efforts, the latest of which was an official memo sent last April containing a fair offer to resolve the case, but received no response.
According to Lebanese media, the release of Hannibal Gaddafi is linked to providing accurate information about the disappearance of Musa al-Sadr and his companions in Libya, and handing over to the Libyan authorities a copy of the independent investigations conducted in this file.
