Libyan prosecutors have issued an arrest warrant for the son of deposed late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi over suspected ties to Russian mercenaries –Wagner group.
A BBC World Service investigation revealed links between the Wagner group’s activities in Libya and war crimes committed against Libyan citizens.
He had long been suspected of having connections to Russia, before the 2011 uprising, Gaddafi was believed to represent the hope for gradual reform in Libya and a likely successor to his father.
After anti-government protests broke out in Libya early in 2011, Gaddafi joined the state’s bloody crackdown on protesters.
He was captured by rebels in late 2011 and taken to the city of Zintan, south-west of Tripoli.
During his detention, he was sentenced to death in absentia by a court in Tripoli over the killing of protesters in 2011.
He is also wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity committed during the crackdown.
He was allegedly freed by the militia holding him six years later although he has not been seen in public in years. Sources in Tripoli say he is likely to still be hiding in Zintan.
