The killing of Saif al-Islam al-Gaddafi earlier this month underscores the inability and unwillingness of the Libyan justice system to ensure accountability and irreversibly robs survivors and relatives of victims of their right to truth and justice. In 2017, a Libyan court sentenced al-Gaddafi to death in absentia in a trial that did not meet international standards. Failure to surrender ICC suspectsLibya’s justice system remains unwilling and unable to effectively investigate crimes committed by powerful militias and armed groups. Italian authorities had arrested him in January 2025 pursuant to the ICC warrant of arrest, but flew him back to Libya the same month. No criminal investigations into claims that crimes under international law were committed at ISA under his command have taken place.

Source: Libya Today February 17, 2026 13:05 UTC