According to Hannibal Gaddafi’s French lawyer, Laurent Bayon, the family of journalist Abbas Badr al-Din’s son, Zaheer Badr al-Din, has supported Hannibal’s release and signed a notice to this effect on October 1st. This request has been sent to the Lebanese Prosecutor General, who must give their opinion within 24 hours.

Hannibal has been imprisoned in Beirut for the past 10 years, and has only been permitted one visit during that time. His lawyer has criticized the inhumane conditions of his detention and stated that Hannibal was brought to Lebanon after being abducted from Syria.

Recently, Hannibal’s health deteriorated, and he was taken to the hospital where he was diagnosed with severe pneumonia and liver inflammation. This marked the first time in 10 years that he spent a night outside of prison.

In June of this year, his lawyer filed a new request for his release. While the families of Imam Sadr and Sheikh Yaqoub opposed his release, the support from the Badr al-Din family is considered a major success in this long-standing case. According to his lawyer, there isn’t sufficient evidence in the case and no judge has met with Hannibal since 2017. Currently, he is battling physical and mental health issues, but he holds onto hope for justice from the Lebanese court and the new government.

Hannibal Gaddafi is the fifth and youngest son of Muammar Gaddafi, born in 1975. He has been held at the headquarters of the Internal Security Forces in Beirut since 2015. His connection to the 1978 disappearance of Lebanese Shia Imam Musa al-Sadr in Tripoli, Libya is the reason for his detention. At that time, Hannibal was only three years old.

After his father’s assassination, Hannibal fled to Syria. Imam Musa al-Sadr was one of the founders of the Shia political party called the Amal Movement, and Lebanon has held Muammar Gaddafi responsible for his disappearance. After the fall of Muammar Gaddafi’s regime and his assassination in 2011, Hannibal, his wife, and some siblings fled to Algeria and later settled in Syria as political refugees.

In 2015, according to his lawyers, Hannibal was lured to the Syria-Lebanon border under the pretense of a newspaper interview and abducted by a group that took him to Lebanon. His lawyers claim Hassan Yaqoub, who was a Hezbollah MP at the time, was behind the abduction. Yaqoub’s father and journalist Abbas Badr al-Din also went to Libya with al-Sadr and disappeared.

During the abduction, a video of Hannibal was shown on the Lebanese Al Jadeed TV channel on December 11, 2015, showing him with facial injuries. He stated that his health was good and urged anyone with information about al-Sadr’s disappearance to come forward.

Reports indicate that he was captured by people associated with the Amal Movement, but the next day he was released from Baalbek and taken to Beirut by Lebanese authorities. On December 17, Hassan Yaqoub was detained on suspicion of involvement in the kidnapping.

Hannibal has consistently maintained his innocence. In 2022, he stated through Saudi TV Al Hadath that how could a two-year-old know where the Imam was. His lawyer stated that Hannibal is an innocent man and that his only crime is being Gaddafi’s son, and that he has done nothing wrong.

In 1978, Lebanese Shia cleric Musa al-Sadr suddenly disappeared. Musa has considerable influence in Lebanon. In 1975, he united Muslims against Christians. Libya has always maintained that in 1978, he, along with his companions, left Tripoli, Libya, for Rome. However, many of his supporters believe that Gaddafi had him killed for money.

Hezbollah, a major political and armed organization in Lebanon, has not directly opposed this plan. In a statement to Reuters, Hezbollah leader Mahmoud Komati described the meeting as an opportunity to return to reason and logic, indicating a desire to avoid confrontation. Hezbollah’s reasoning suggests that escalating conflict could lead to instability and chaos within the country.

This statement came after the Lebanese cabinet recently approved a US-backed roadmap aimed at disarming the Iran-backed Hezbollah, under the 2006 United Nations Security Council resolution. Iran had also criticized this roadmap. Let’s take a detailed look at this Lebanese president.

Joseph Khalil Aoun: The Commando President of Lebanon
Joseph Khalil Aoun was born on January 10, 1964. He is not only Lebanon’s 14th president but also a strict army general. Before assuming the presidency on January 9, 2025, he was the commander of the Lebanese army. Aoun joined the army in 1983, during the Lebanese civil war. He spent time training in the United States, Syria, and Lebanon.

Counter-Terrorism Training
He also received counter-terrorism training in the United States in 2008 and again in Lebanon in 2013. In 1990, during the Elimination War, Aoun was a lieutenant in the commando regiment. At that time, his leader died, and Aoun took command of the unit in the crisis. This was the real test of his leadership.

Beginning of Political Career
His name came up strongly in politics in 2022 when Samir Geagea, the leader of the Lebanese Forces party, considered him suitable for the presidency. Countries like Qatar, the United States, France, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt also showed their support for him. Today, as President, Aoun seems to be giving a clear message that foreign interference will not be tolerated in his country, that only the army will possess weapons, and that the sovereignty of Lebanon is paramount.

Iran has maintained influence in Lebanon for decades by supporting Hezbollah, a Shia group that faces opposition from many Lebanese citizens. During the meeting with Larijani, President Aoun affirmed Lebanon’s commitment to strengthening cooperation with Iran based on sovereignty, friendship, and mutual respect. He also noted that recent comments from some Iranian officials were unhelpful.

President Aoun emphasized that the relationship Lebanon desires with Iran should not be limited to a single sect or political group but should encompass all Lebanese citizens. He underscored that Lebanon is the ultimate homeland for all its citizens, both Christians and Muslims, and it is the state’s responsibility to secure all communities through its constitutional institutions and security forces.

Lebanon rejects any external interference in its internal affairs. President Aoun strongly rejected any external interference in Lebanon’s internal affairs, and called for Lebanese territory to remain safe and stable for the benefit of all citizens without discrimination.

Aoun cautioned that Lebanon has paid a heavy price whenever one group sought foreign support against another. The lesson, he said, is that, without exception, no party or group should take up arms or depend on external powers.

He stated that the country and its armed forces are responsible for the security of all Lebanese people. Any threat, whether from Israel or elsewhere, is a challenge for the entire country, not just one group, and the strongest weapon to confront it is unity.

Dr. Larijani conveyed greetings from Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and invited President Aoun to Tehran. He stated that Iran wants to assist in Lebanon’s reconstruction efforts. He affirmed Iran’s desire to strengthen its relations with the Lebanese state and people in all areas and praised President Aoun’s role in strengthening national unity and promoting harmony among all Lebanese sects and communities.

Raad asserted that “the presence of the resistance is what truly bothers them.” He warned that the decision to disarm the resistance would open a path for the enemy to interfere with internal stability, potentially aiming to turn it into an internal problem instead of a Lebanon-Israel issue.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah supporters have begun holding rallies on the streets of Lebanon, raising fears of disruption to the country’s peace. Furthermore, if this decision is not reversed, civil war could erupt.

Raad claimed that the Lebanese government can run the country but cannot confront the enemy. He stated that the resistance’s weapons have protected Lebanon from 1982 to 2025, liberated it, and brought victory, establishing a balance of deterrence and thwarting the enemy’s expansionist plans.

A Hezbollah MP described giving up weapons as akin to suicide. He also called the Lebanese government’s decision hasty and dangerous, stating that it would pave the way for the enemy to interfere with domestic stability.

He further stated, “To hand over our weapons is like saying ‘hand over your honor.’ Handing over weapons is suicide, and we have no intention of committing suicide. Ask the army if they will surrender their weapons, which are their honor. Will they invite the world to betray us by handing over their weapons? If we hand over our weapons, who will protect our sovereignty and our country?”