After spending a decade behind bars without formal charges, a Lebanese court has ordered the release of Hannibal Gadhafi, son of late Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, on the condition that he pays an $11 million bail, a decision his lawyers say they will challenge.
On Friday, Judge Zaher Hamadeh ruled that Hannibal Gadhafi could be freed once the hefty bail is paid but barred him from leaving Lebanon for two months. The ruling came after Gadhafi appeared before the judge at the Justice Palace in Beirut, where he was questioned before being returned to his cell.
Gadhafi, who has been detained in Lebanon since 2015, has never been charged with a crime. His legal team has long argued that his detention is unlawful, citing his worsening health condition.
Libya had formally called for his release in 2023, after he went on a hunger strike to protest being held without trial.
According to his lawyer, Charbel Milad al-Khoury, Gadhafi does not have access to the funds required for bail and will appeal the decision. “This ruling is practically impossible to meet,” al-Khoury said. “Hannibal has been detained for 10 years, it makes no sense to demand $11 million for his release.”
Lebanese judicial sources confirmed that Gadhafi’s defense team has also filed a case against the Lebanese state in Geneva, arguing that his imprisonment without trial violates international law. The case is expected to be heard in Switzerland next month.
Hannibal Gadhafi’s arrest dates back to 2015, when he was abducted by Lebanese militants who sought information about missing Shiite cleric Imam Musa al-Sadr. Lebanese police later found Gadhafi in Baalbek, northeastern Lebanon, and took him into custody. He has remained detained in a Beirut prison ever since.
