On 27 December, Bloomberg reported that Russian Envoy Mikhail Bogdanov said Saif al-Islam Qaddafi could be a unifying figure for Libya and has the right to run for president in the elections next year, despite being wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC). Bogdanov has stated that he has been in contact with Saif al-Islam via phone with the latter assuring the envoy that he is safe. Saif al-Islam is wanted by the ICC for the violent crackdown on demonstrations in 2011. During the revolution, Saif al-Islam was captured by Zintani militias and sentenced to death by a Tripoli court in absentia in 2015, but released in 2016 to the Libyan eastern-based parliament. He has not been seen since. Tripoli prosecutors continue to seek al-Islam’s arrest saying he should be re-tried given he did not attend the original hearings. Despite claims he should be eligible for elections, Saif al-Islam would not be able to enter public life without a reconciliation process; an unlikely scenario in the current climate. Additionally, it is unclear if Saif al-Islam is even alive, as this has not been confirmed since his release.Click here to read the article.
Russian Envoy States Qaddafi Son Should Be Allowed To Run In Elections