Libya probes killing of late ruler Gaddafi's son

Libyan authorities investigate the shooting death of Seif al-Islam Gaddafi, amid calls for restraint and national reconciliation.

Libyan prosecutors said on Wednesday (February 4, 2026) they were investigating the killing of Seif al-Islam Gaddafi, son of slain ruler Muammar Gaddafi, in the city of Zintan.

The public prosecutor's office said forensic experts had been dispatched to Zintan in northwest Libya, where he was shot dead, adding that efforts were underway to identify suspects.

"The victim died from wounds by gunfire," the office said in a statement, adding that investigators were looking to "speak to witnesses and anyone who may be able to shed light on the incident".

Marcel Ceccaldi, a lawyer who had been representing Seif al-Islam, told AFP he was killed by an unidentified "four-man commando" who stormed his house on Tuesday (February 3).

The head of the Presidential Council, a transitional body supposed to represent all of divided Libya under a UN agreement, urged "political forces, the media and social actors to show restraint in public statements and to avoid incitement to hate".

"We call on all political forces to wait for the results of the official investigation," a statement by Mohamed al-Menfi said, referring to Seif al-Islam as a "presidential candidate".