Judicial sources confirmed that South Africa has approved the residency application of Hannibal Gaddafi on its territory, following his anticipated release from Lebanese prisons, which is scheduled for next Monday, as reported by Al-Arabiya Al-Hadath.
Gaddafi’s son reportedly prefers to leave Lebanon immediately upon his release. This is despite the Lebanese authorities having no objection to him remaining in Beirut with his family, though they will not offer him any security protection. Preparations are currently underway for his reception in South Africa, while both Egypt and the Sultanate of Oman remain potential alternative residency options.
The sources indicated that the release will be finalised upon the payment of a $900,000 bail bond, a sum that the Government of National Unity is set to cover. This development follows the Government of National Unity sending a delegation to Lebanon last week to follow up on the Hannibal case. The Libyan government later announced the Lebanese authorities’ decision to both cancel the previously imposed bail and release him.
The decision comes after Hannibal Gaddafi’s detention for nearly a decade, related to the 1978 disappearance of Imam Musa al-Sadr during his visit to Libya. Separately, the Libyan judiciary, represented by the Ministry of Justice in the Government of National Unity, has not received any response from its Lebanese counterpart regarding a formal memorandum sent in April via diplomatic channels, which included an offer to conclude the case.