Libya's Former Dictator Gaddafi's Second Son Runs for President...Attempting Political Comeback (Comprehensive)

Sentenced to Death in 2017... Disappeared After Release
First General Election After Libya Civil War... Government and Rebel Candidates in Close Contest

On the 14th (local time), Saif al-Islam Gaddafi (first from the left), the second son of Libya's former dictator Muammar Gaddafi, appeared at the election commission in Sabha, southern Libya, to register as a presidential candidate. He was previously arrested and sentenced to death following the collapse of the Gaddafi regime but was later released. Additionally, he is still subject to an active arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity, which is expected to fuel controversy over his candidacy. Sabha, Libya = AP·Yonhap News

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the second son of Muammar Gaddafi, the former Libyan dictator ousted in 2011, has registered as a candidate for the upcoming Libyan presidential election next month, sparking controversy. He was previously arrested after the collapse of the Gaddafi regime and sentenced to death before being released. Additionally, as an individual wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on charges of crimes against humanity, with an active arrest warrant, there is expected to be growing international debate over his eligibility as a candidate.

On the 14th (local time), the Libyan Election Commission announced in an online statement that al-Islam appeared before the election commission in Sebha, a southern region of Libya, registered as a presidential candidate, and received a voting card. In an online video released by the Libyan Election Commission, al-Islam was seen registering as a candidate wearing traditional Libyan Bedouin attire and a headscarf, and delivering a brief speech quoting the Quran, the Islamic holy book. The Libyan presidential election is scheduled for the 24th of next month, and the election commission is reportedly accepting candidate registrations until the end of this month.

Al-Islam, 49 years old this year, is Gaddafi’s second son and was considered a likely successor during the Gaddafi regime. However, after the regime’s collapse, he was arrested and sentenced to death in 2017 before being released. After several years of public inactivity, he indicated his intention to return to politics in an interview with The New York Times (NYT) last July and has since resumed political activities.

However, as soon as he registered as a presidential candidate, controversy over his eligibility has intensified both inside and outside Libya. According to Al Jazeera, the ICC arrest warrant issued against him in 2011 for crimes against humanity remains valid. Voices within Libyan politics are also growing louder, demanding that his candidacy be disqualified, leaving it uncertain whether he will be able to participate in the election.

Meanwhile, since the collapse of the Gaddafi regime in 2011, Libya has been embroiled in a civil war between eastern rebel forces and government troops. Last October, under UN mediation, a ceasefire agreement was reached, and the eastern rebels and the government agreed to jointly hold presidential and parliamentary elections and form a unified government. It is reported that Khalifa Haftar, the commander of the eastern rebel forces, and Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, the interim prime minister leading the Libyan government, are preparing to run as presidential candidates.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.