Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, son of late Libyan leader, shot dead

The most prominent son of late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, has been killed, sources close to the family, his lawyer Khaled el-Zaydi and Libyan media said on Tuesday.

Details surrounding the circumstances of his death were not immediately clear.

While Saif al-Islam is well-known in the north African country, especially for his role in shaping policy before 2011, his public profile has receded in recent years.

In 2015, a Libyan court passed a death sentence in absentia on Saif al-Islam for suppressing peaceful protests during the country's 2011 revolution that ended his father's rule.

He has also been provisionally charged by the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity, a case his lawyers failed to dismiss.

In 2021, Saif al-Islam registered as a presidential candidate for a December vote that eventually collapsed amid a political deadlock.