Saadi Kadhafi, a son of Libya’s late dictator Moamer Kadhafi who was overthrown and killed in a 2011 uprising, has been freed from jail, said the interim government. Saadi — the strongman’s third son, now aged 47 — was known for his playboy lifestyle and briefly played as a professional footballer in Italy. “Saadi Moamer Kadhafi has been freed from prison,” following on from a court ruling several years ago, a justice ministry source said late Sunday in comments confirmed by the Government of National Unity.
Several media reports suggested Kadhafi had already taken a flight to Turkey. The Turkish foreign ministry, however, told AFP on Monday it had no information about Kadhafi’s possible arrival in Istanbul. Libya’s Presidential Council on Monday also announced the release of several other prisoners, including Kadhafi’s former cabinet and intelligence chief, Ahmad Ramadan, who was nicknamed “Black Box” for being the keeper of the dictator’s secrets. Saadi fled to Niger following the 2011 NATO-backed uprising, but was extradited to Libya in 2014. He was held in a Tripoli prison, accused of crimes committed against protesters and of the 2005 killing of Libyan football coach Bashir al-Rayani. In April 2018, the court of appeal acquitted him of Rayani’s murder. Since the 2011 uprising, Libya has sunk into chaos, with an array of rulers and militias vying for power. A 2020 ceasefire ended the factional fighting and paved the way for peace talks and the formation of a transitional government this March, ahead of elections set for December. But preparations are marred by disputes over when to hold elections, what elections to hold and on what constitutional grounds.
The Kadhafi reign
Meanwhile, his family lived a life of opulence, with private jets, luxury sports cars and a superyacht. On October 20, 2011, rebels stormed Moamer Kadhafi’s Mediterranean home town of Sirte, where he and his son Mutassim were killed. Another son, Seif al-Arab, had perished in a NATO air raid in April 2011, and his brother Khamis died in combat four months later. But other members of the Kadhafi clan survived, including his wife Safiya, eldest son Mohammed, daughter Aisha, heir apparent Seif al-Islam, high-roller Hannibal and playboy Saadi.
Italian clubs to wanted-list
Saadi, the former head of Libya’s football federation, was primarily known for his brief career in Italian football until Interpol issued a notice against him and other members of his family over the deadly protest crackdown in 2011. After playing with Libyan clubs, Saadi signed in 2003 with Italy’s Perugia, at the request of then Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, who had close ties with the Libyan regime.
