Saif al-Islam Gaddafi is one of the most prominent figures running in the Libyan presidential elections but he was keen not to appear until a time shortly before the elections.
However, in light of the division of the country, some sources were eager to make his presence known on the political scene by speaking on his behalf, stressing that he intends to return to political life just as supporters of the regime are looking forward to his return to power.
Saif al-Islam Muammar al-Gaddafi is 49 years old, and he was born on June 5, 1972, in Bab al-Aziziya in Tripoli.
He is the first son of Colonel al-Qathafi from his second wife, Safiya Farkash. He has 6 siblings, including one sister. He obtained a doctorate from the London School of Economics, and he belonged to the bloc that aimed to liberate the economy of Libya.
He heads the Gaddafi International Charity and Development Foundation, which was created in 1998 and negotiated for the release of European hostages held by Islamist militants, especially in the Philippines.
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Although he announced in 2008 that he did not wish to inherit the rule from his father, he was considered by some to be the “modern face of Libya.”
Saif al-Islam has attributes that distinguish him from Muammar Gaddafi the father. In this regard, the New York Times said in its headline that Gaddafi’s son is alive and wants to recover Libya.
In his first press interview after a decade-long disappearance, his confirmed his intention to apply for the candidacy. He said that the scene now seemed appropriate for a return, after he remained in the shadows throughout the recent past.
In 2011, Saif al-Islam was captured by a battalion with an independent orientation that protected him from other rebel factions, and transported him by air to the city of Zintan, southwest of the capital.
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He was referred to trial on charges of killing opponents of his father's rule, where he was sentenced to death in 2015.
The sentence was rescinded in 2021, as was required by the International Criminal Court, which has called for his trial for crimes against humanity.
Saif al-Islam remained a prisoner even after the 2012 Libyan elections. He was released in 2017, at the request of the interim government, the same year in which he was pardoned by the Libyan parliament.
Saif Al-Islam has artistic interests, as he is fond of drawing, and he has held many art exhibitions in various countries of the world.
