A court in Tripoli sentenced the son of the former dictator. The latter was not present because he is held by a militia group in the city of Zintan that does not recognize the authorities in Tripoli and has refused to hand him over. With Saif al-Islam, the death penalty was also imposed on the former intelligence chief Abdullah al-Senousi, and former Prime Minister Baghdadi al-Mahmoudi.

Tripoli (AsiaNews/Agencies) – A court in Tripoli has sentenced Saif al-Islam, Muammar Gaddafi’s most prominent son, to death by firing.

The 43-year-old (pictured) has been on trial since April 2014 along with dozens of other close associates of the deposed leader, who was killed in October 2011.

The main charges against them were war crimes and suppression of peaceful protests during the revolution of 2011 that led to the downfall of the regime.

Eight defendants, including former intelligence chief Abdullah al-Senousi, and former Prime Minister Baghdadi al-Mahmoudi, were also sentenced to death. The other defendants received sentences ranging from five years to life.

The son of the former dictator was not present in court. Since November 2011, he has been held by a rebel group based in Zintan that does not recognize the authorities in Tripoli and has refused to hand him over.

In May 2011, the International Criminal Court had issued an arrest warrant against him for "crimes against humanity".

The trial in Tripoli started in April 2014 before Libyan rival factions fell out and set up separate governments, one based in Tripoli, and the other, the only internationally recognized, in Tobruk.

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