Source: Global Times
[Global Times Special Correspondent in Egypt Huang Peizhao Global Times Special Correspondent Liu Haoran] Since the outbreak of the "Arab Spring" movement and the fall of Gaddafi government, Libya civil strife has lasted for nearly ten years. . Recently, as the Libyan Government of National Accord announced the implementation of a comprehensive ceasefire in the country, this country that has been in turmoil for many years has finally ushered in a short period of stability. At this moment, Gaddafi's son Saif Seif, who had disappeared for several years and was once regarded as the "successor", made a high-profile appearance and sent a signal that he was about to participate in the presidential election; and the third son, who had been detained in Tripoli for many years Saadi was finally free. What makes public opinion lamentable is that from the civil war to the present, the family that once ruled the country for decades is now fragmented, with the remaining brothers and sisters separated from each other.
Data map: On November 1, 2015, local time, Gaddafi's son Saadi appeared in court in Tripoli, Libya.
According to the British " Guardian " report on the 6th, after multi-party consultations, Gaddafi's third son Saadi Gaddafi has been released a few days ago. According to information from the Libyan coalition government, the relevant negotiations involve many senior leaders of Libyan domestic tribes, Libyan Prime Minister Dbeibah and former Interior Minister Bashagha. During the 2011 Libyan rebellion, Saadi fled to Niger and was extradited back to Libya in 2014. He has since been detained in Tripoli awaiting trial for 7 years. Libyan officials did not explain his release, saying only that the move was in compliance with court orders and that Saadi could choose to stay in the country or leave the country after his release. According to reports, Saadi went through exit procedures as soon as he was released from prison and immediately flew to Istanbul, Turkey.
Saadi, 48, was born to Gaddafi's second wife Sofia Farqash . He was also the "most willful" of Gaddafi's many children and was a well-known playboy during his father's reign. . Saadi loved football in his early years and relied on his father's power to directly "monopolize" the sport - the entire Libyan Football Federation at that time claimed to revolve around him. In the domestic football matches he participates in, the commentators are not allowed to mention the names of other players. The opponent's goalkeeper did not dare to block Saadi's shot for fear of angering the "Prince." According to Arab media reports, Saadi regards football as more important than life and believes that he has extraordinary football talent. He calls himself " Mr. Football " and says that he is especially good at playing left forward and center positions. Saadi once joined the Serie A league and briefly played for the Italian Football Club Perugia. However, his competitive level was ridiculed by some well-known football coaches as being "amateur level" at best. Italy’s La Repubblica once commented: “Even if he (referring to Saadi) doubled his speed, he would still be as slow as grandma’s house.”
A 2009 U.S. diplomatic cable called Saadi a “ka "The black sheep of the Zafi family", referring to his drinking, drug taking and sexual indulgence, and his private life was corrupt.
After the outbreak of the Libyan civil war in 2011, Saadi was the commander of the Libyan special forces. After the fall of Gaddafi's government, Saadi was imprisoned on charges of crimes against protesters and the 2005 murder of Libyan football coach Layani. In 2018, the court dropped the murder charge against him.
Shortly before Saadi was released, Gaddafi's second son, 49-year-old Saif Islam Gaddafi, who had disappeared for many years, suddenly appeared and accepted an exclusive interview with the " New York Times ". Facing the camera, he unceremoniously accused Libya's politicians of having done "nothing but bring suffering to the people" over the past decade. He said that Libya is now "kneeling on the ground" - there is no money, no security, and no life. Now it is time to "rebuild the past."
Agence France-Presse said that Saif has disappeared since 2014 and this high-profile appearance is to "announce his comeback." Saif said in the interview that he is now a "free man" and has not only united his previous opponents, but now has the ability to return to Libyan politics.According to reports, after years of chaos, Libya's interim government, the Government of National Accord, has gradually stabilized the domestic situation with the support of Turkey and will hold an election in December this year. Seif's comeback is precisely to compete for the position of president. . Saif has received a Western education, holds a doctorate in economics, and speaks multiple languages. Gaddafi once placed high hopes on him. Officials of the U.S. State Department in Tripoli once commented that Seif was the "number two person" in Libya when Gaddafi was in power, and was the de facto prime minister and successor. However, Seif himself denied this statement.
After the Libyan civil war , Seif was captured by the country's militia in November 2011 and was detained in the western city of Zintan for a long time. Although Seif is still a "criminal" and is still wanted by the International Court of Justice in The Hague, he confidently believes that as long as the majority of Libyans are willing to elect him as leader, then these legal troubles will not be a problem.
According to Associated Press report, Gaddafi raised a total of 8 children in his life. As the regime was overthrown, his family members "ran away and fled" with different fates. Among them, Gaddafi's fourth son Mutasim , sixth son Saif al-Arab and youngest son Khamis died during the civil war respectively.
Gaddafi's eldest son, 51-year-old Mohammed, once ran Libya's Post and Telecommunications Corporation and held huge shares in other companies. When the civil war broke out, Mohammed, who had a strong desire to survive, was the first to surrender to the opposition. During his house arrest, he managed to contact well-known media to inform him of his situation. Go to Oman and successfully apply for political asylum. Gaddafi's fifth son, Hannibal, was kidnapped by militants in 2015 and was still detained in Hannibal, Lebanon, until August 2020; his wife lives in Damascus, Syria, and is still causing trouble everywhere. In January this year, She rammed her car into the police, suspected of "road rage", injuring many people. Gaddafi's only daughter Aisha is a former United Nations goodwill ambassador. After the civil war, she once sued NATO for killing her relatives and bombing civilian buildings. In 2012, she fled to Oman with her family and was granted political asylum.
