Lebanese authorities release son of late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi on bail

Hannibal Gaddafi, son of dead Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi (Abdel Magid al-Fergany/AP)

Lebanese authorities released the son of late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi on Monday after he paid a 900,000-dollar (£683,460) bail, ending his 10-year detention for allegedly withholding information about a missing Lebanese cleric, security officials and a member of his defence team said.

One of Hannibal Gaddafi ’s lawyers, Charbel Milad al-Khoury, told The Associated Press that Gaddafi was released on Monday evening after necessary paperwork was finished. Two security officials, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, also confirmed that Gaddafi was set free.

The release came days after Lebanese authorities lifted a travel ban and reduced the bail for Hannibal Gaddafi, paving the way for his release.

Thursday’s decision by the country’s judicial authorities to lift the travel ban and reduce the bail from 11 million dollars came days after a Libyan delegation visited Lebanon and made progress in talks for the release of Gaddafi.

In mid-October, a Lebanese judge ordered Gaddafi’s release on 11 million dollars (£8.3 million) bail, but banned him from travelling outside Lebanon. His lawyers said at the time that he did not have enough to pay that amount, and sought permission for him to leave the country.

On Thursday, his bail was reduced to 80 billion Lebanese pounds (about 900,000 dollars) and the travel ban was lifted allowing him to leave the country once he pays the bail.

The two judicial and one security official said the bail was paid by the Libyan delegation. The Justice Ministry of the Tripoli-based government also posted on its social media platforms that the Libyan delegation paid the bail.