• Hannibal Gaddafi released after ten years of detention in Lebanon.
• His bail was reduced to $900,000, paid by a Libyan delegation.
• The case revolves around the disappearance of cleric Moussa al-Sadr.
• Gaddafi was abduced in 2015 while living in exile in Syria.
• His release follows a hunger strike and deteriorating health.

Hannibal Gaddafi, the youngest son of the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, was released from a Lebanese prison on Monday after ten years of detention, related to allegations of withholding information about the missing Lebanese cleric, Moussa al-Sadr. He was detained following his abduction by militants in Syria in 2015, and his release was confirmed by both his defense team and Lebanese security officials, according to Reuters, South China Morning Post, and Africanews.

The release of Gaddafi followed a Lebanese judicial decision to lift his travel ban and reduce his bail from $11 million to $900,000. His lawyer, Charbel Milad al-Khoury, indicated that Gaddafi had "the full right to choose the destination that he wants," although details about his future movements remain undisclosed for security reasons. These actions came after a Libyan delegation visited Lebanon and facilitated discussions regarding Gaddafi's release, as reported by Reuters and Africanews.

Hannibal Gaddafi had been in custody since 2015, facing accusations tied to the unresolved case of Moussa al-Sadr, a cleric who disappeared during a visit to Libya in 1978. Gaddafi was merely two years old at the time of Sadr's disappearance and had lived in exile since the fall of his father’s regime in 2011. Over the years, his health deteriorated, prompting a hunger strike in 2023, thereby escalating calls for his release. His lawyers had previously filed a case in Geneva against the Lebanese state for holding him without trial, which they later withdrew following the judicial changes allowing for his liberation, according to South China Morning Post and Africanews.

The complex historical tensions surrounding al-Sadr's disappearance have left lasting impacts on Lebanese society, with many presuming him deceased, although some of his family believe he may still be alive in a Libyan prison. The circumstances of Gaddafi's detention and subsequent release illustrate the ongoing diplomatic efforts between Lebanon and Libya, as echoed by the statement from the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity expressing gratitude to Lebanese officials for facilitating Gaddafi’s release, according to Reuters and South China Morning Post.