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Text: Zhang Runchen
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introduction
Gaddafi, the military strongman who ruled Libya for more than 30 years, has undoubtedly had a profound impact on Libya. However, the results of this military strongman are far from good. In the events of the Arab Spring, Gaddafi was the only military dictator to be directly killed.
Ali of Tunisia fled, Mubarak of Egypt was imprisoned, Assad of Syria still holds power in Syria, and the king of Bahrain stabilized his country by appealing to Saudi Arabia for help. Only Gaddafi, only he was killed. And after his death, his family was completely "scattered".
(Hannibal)
And in Gaddafi's family, there is a very special existence, this person is Gaddafi's fourth son, Hannibal.
1. The high-profile "King of Boats"
One of Hannibal's most prominent characteristics is undoubtedly his "high profile". Relatively speaking, Hannibal did have such a high-profile reason. In an objective sense, Hannibal is a "handsome guy", he is the best looking of Gaddafi's many children. is also one of the best aesthetic level and clothing in the Gaddafi family, and even his wife is a supermodel in the fashion industry.
Before Gaddafi's downfall, Hannibal's favorite thing was to wear all kinds of clothes that showed his taste, drive all kinds of sports cars, and race crazy in the streets and alleys of major European cities. Hannibal and his Lebanese lingerie supermodel Alin Skaffe were even forced to stop by the police for racing on the Champs-Élysées in Paris.
And this is definitely not the only time Hannibal "dealt with the police" in Europe. In fact, he is quite familiar with the various "doors" of European law, and he himself is a legal expert who graduated from a prestigious Danish university. Hannibal "caused a lot of trouble" in Europe, but he never "made a big mistake", which is the biggest difference between him and Saddam's son.
But even after avoiding "major risks", Hannibal can still be said to have a "long history". In Denmark, Hannibal was briefly arrested by the Danish police for assaulting the Libyan consul in Denmark. In 2008, Hannibal made a "big move" in Geneva, Switzerland.
(Hannibal & Scallin)
He and his wife were arrested by the Swiss police for assaulting a service provider in a five-star hotel in Geneva. In fact, this matter itself is not a big deal at all. It's not the first time Hannibal has beaten people in Europe, and it's all about losing some money.
But because Hannibal was publicly arrested by the Swiss police, the incident caused Gaddafi's displeasure. As a result, Gaddafi expelled the Libyan branch of Nescafe and withdrew $5 billion from Swiss banks, as well as the total expulsion of Swiss capital from the Libyan oil industry.
(Hannibal & Scallin)
Gaddafi's move also forced Swiss President Hans-Rudolf Merz to apologize to Hannibal in person. Hannibal's "Swiss adventure" was a triumphant. Another of Hannibal's hobbies in Europe is to drive yachts and cruise ships, so Hannibal is also known as the "king of boats".
Second, the end of the "King of Ships".
Unlike Gaddafi's other sons, Hannibal was more of a "darling of the fashion world" than a "prince". Hannibal had no interest in politics and was extremely disgusted with military affairs. As a result, Hannibal almost never had access to the military and political power in Libya, and Hannibal would almost only stay in "prosperous Europe" rather than Libya.
(Hannibal's Ship)
This, on the contrary, saved Hannibal's life. Far from the center of power, Hannibal was also the fastest runner, and compared to the other brothers who were captured or killed, he had nothing to do at all. Hannibal happened to be at sea at the time when Western countries announced their involvement in Libya, which allowed him to escape immediately and even have a chance to pick up his mother.
They first fled together to Algeria, where Hannibal and his mother succeeded in obtaining political asylum. Hannibal, however, was not content to take refuge in Algeria.
In fact, he misses his supermodel wife very much. Soon after, Hannibal quietly smuggled to Beirut, Lebanon, to live with his wife.
(Hannibal & Scallin)
However, Hannibal was not forgotten, and he was remembered. And these people who still remember him, and probably the last thing Hannibal wants to see, are none other than the Shiite forces in Lebanon. Qaddafi's family is all Sunni, and the sectarian conflict that pervades the Arab world is also in Libya.
When Qaddafi was in power, Lebanon's Shiite leader al-Sadr mysteriously disappeared in Libya. Considering Gaddafi's character, many people are artificial, and al-Sadr was actually kidnapped by Gaddafi. And the Lebanese Shiite forces, believing that Hannibal may know the whereabouts of al-Sadr, or at least should know his fate.
(Gaddafi)
In December 2015, Hannibal was abducted by Shiite forces in Lebanon. In the follow-up related videos, it can be clearly seen that Hannibal was severely beaten. He looked blue and swollen, quite miserable.
We have no way of knowing whether the Shiite forces have achieved their goals. But what we are able to understand is that Hannibal was then handed over to the Lebanese police.
(Sculling)
III. The End of Hannibal
In Lebanon, Hannibal was charged with "concealing al-Sadr's whereabouts" and sentenced to eight years in prison. The Syrian side tried to extradite Hannibal politically, but the Lebanese side refused. Although Syria's efforts to rescue Hannibal were unsuccessful, they succeeded in rescuing Hannibal's wife, the supermodel Scullin.
In June 2023, Hannibal, who has disappeared for a long time, returns to the public eye. Al Jazeera reported that Hannibal began a lengthy hunger strike because he "felt that he had been forgotten by the masses". His health and mental condition are in fact declining gradually every day. Al Jazeera's interview notes show that Hannibal is already quite emaciated.
According to Lebanese officials, Hannibal has developed spasms, frequent dizziness and headaches, and the condition of his spine and hips is gradually deteriorating. There is no doubt that if Hannibal continues to torture himself in this way, he probably won't live long.
(Hannibal)
Resources
Gaddafi's son Lebanon was kidnapped and released hours later. [OL].2015.12.13.
Gaddafi's son beat his wife, causing her nose to be broken and covered with blood. [OL].2009.12.31.
The son of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi was kidnapped in Lebanon-中国网.中国网 [Citation date:2021-10-07]
Foreign media: Gaddafi's son is "in critical condition". [OL].2009.12.31.
Xinhua News Agency.Gaddafi's three sons were released from prison, and the rest of the children are safe today?[OL].