Libya has turned the page on Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of the late president Muammar Gaddafi, but his shadow will apparently remain present in the Libyan scene for a long time, amid widespread doubts about the ability of the divided authorities to uncover the circumstances of his assassination and those involved. The funeral as a political indicatorThe funeral of Saif al-Islam, held in Bani Walid (a city in western Libya known as a stronghold of Gaddafi loyalists), was not merely a farewell ceremony but turned into a striking political and popular indicator. The controversy surrounding al-Atiri’s attendance at the funeral itself reflected the sensitivity and division surrounding the case. Law professor Fathi al-Shibli expresses confidence in the Libyan public prosecutor’s ability to reach those who carried out the crime, but he stresses, in his remarks to An-Nahar, that “there is a difference between uncovering the perpetrators of the assassination and reaching those who stand behind them. Libyans gather to attend the funeral of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi in Bani Walid.

Source: The North Africa Journal February 10, 2026 12:45 UTC