Libya orders arrest of three suspects in the murder of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi

Tripoli (ANTARA) - Libya’s Attorney General’s Office said they had identified and issued arrest warrants for three suspects in connection with the killing of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. The Attorney General’s Office said, via its social media account on Thursday night local time, as reported by Xinhua, that the warrants were issued after the preliminary investigation had been completed and evidence gathered. Saif al-Islam, long regarded as a significant and controversial figure in Libya since NATO-backed protests in 2011 ended his father’s rule, was killed on 3 February by four armed men who stormed his residence in Zintan, about 136 km southwest of Tripoli. The prosecutors stated that the attackers waited for the victim at his residence and attacked him in the courtyard in a narrow space that prevented escape. The attackers then directed their automatic weapons at the victim and opened fire, causing death at the scene. In November 2021, Saif al-Islam made his first public appearance in years when he registered as a candidate in the Libyan presidential election, but his candidacy was later rejected by the High National Election Commission.