Abdullah Al-Senussi
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Abdullah Senussi ( ) is a
Libya Libya, officially the State of Libya, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya border, the east, Sudan to Libya–Sudan border, the southeast, Chad to Chad–L ...
n national who was the intelligence chief and brother-in-law of former Libyan leader Colonel
Muammar Gaddafi Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi (20 October 2011) was a Libyan military officer, revolutionary, politician and political theorist who ruled Libya from 1969 until Killing of Muammar Gaddafi, his assassination by Libyan Anti-Gaddafi ...
. He was married to Gaddafi's sister-in-law. Scottish police officers plan to interview him in connection with the
Lockerbie bombing Pan Am Flight 103 (PA103/PAA103) was a regularly scheduled Pan Am transatlantic flight from Frankfurt to Detroit via a stopover in London and another in New York City. Shortly after 19:00 on 21 December 1988, the Boeing 747 "Clipper Maid of th ...
, raising the prospect of a second
Lockerbie trial The Pan Am Flight 103 bombing trial began on 3 May 2000, more than 11 years after the destruction of Pan Am Flight 103 on 21 December 1988. The 36-week bench trial took place at a specially convened Scottish Court in the Netherlands set up under S ...
.


Gaddafi government

According to ''The Guardian'', Senussi has had a reputation for evolving Libya's military since the 1970s. During the 1980s he was head of internal security in Libya, at a time when many opponents of Gaddafi were killed. Later, he was described as the head of military intelligence, but it is unclear whether he actually held an official rank. He was also thought to have been behind an alleged plot in 2003 to assassinate Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. After Senussi's marriage to Gaddafi's wife's sister in the 1979, he entered the elite circle of Libya's leader and assumed various roles including Deputy Chief of the External Security Organization. US embassy cables described him as being a confidant of Gaddafi who made "many of his medical arrangements". He was known to seek Gaddafi's approval at any cost, even if it went against his morals and beliefs.


2011 Libyan civil war

During the
2011 Libyan civil war The Libyan civil war, also known as the First Libyan Civil War and Libyan Revolution, was an armed conflict in 2011 in the North African country of Libya that was fought between forces loyal to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and rebel groups that were ...
, he was blamed for orchestrating killings in the city of
Benghazi Benghazi () () is the List of cities in Libya, second-most-populous city in Libya as well as the largest city in Cyrenaica, with an estimated population of 859,000 in 2023. Located on the Gulf of Sidra in the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean, Ben ...
. He was believed to have extensive business interests in Libya. On 1 March 2011, Libya's
Quryna ''Quryna'' (), formerly known as ''Yosberides'' (), is a privately owned Libyan newspaper published in print and on the internet. It is based in Benghazi, the country's second largest city. Reuters described it as "Libya's most reliable media ou ...
newspaper reported that Gaddafi had sacked him. However, in the summer of 2011, there was for the first time a new position in Libya that was created for him, the position was General Chief of Intelligence Services and was given a general rank. On 16 May 2011, the
International Criminal Court The International Criminal Court (ICC) is an intergovernmental organization and International court, international tribunal seated in The Hague, Netherlands. It is the first and only permanent international court with jurisdiction to prosecute ...
prosecutor sought an arrest warrant for Senussi on charges of
crimes against humanity Crimes against humanity are certain serious crimes committed as part of a large-scale attack against civilians. Unlike war crimes, crimes against humanity can be committed during both peace and war and against a state's own nationals as well as ...
. On 21 July 2011, Libyan opposition sources claimed that Senussi had been killed in an attack by armed rebels in Tripoli; however, a few hours later the same sources recanted on their earlier claim and some said he might have just been injured. On 30 August 2011, there were reports that both Senussi's son, Mohammed Abdullah al-Senussi, and
Muammar Gaddafi Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi (20 October 2011) was a Libyan military officer, revolutionary, politician and political theorist who ruled Libya from 1969 until Killing of Muammar Gaddafi, his assassination by Libyan Anti-Gaddafi ...
's son, Khamis, were killed during clashes with NATO and NTC forces in
Tarhuna Tarhuna (; ), also Tarhoona or Tarhunah, is a Libyan village to the southeast of Tripoli, in the Murqub District. The Tarhuna District, including the city of Msallata, had an urban population of about 296,000 (est. 2003). The population in T ...
. Some initial reports falsely claimed that Abdullah Senussi had died as well. After the Battle of Tripoli, Senussi evaded capture and met
Muammar Gaddafi Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi (20 October 2011) was a Libyan military officer, revolutionary, politician and political theorist who ruled Libya from 1969 until Killing of Muammar Gaddafi, his assassination by Libyan Anti-Gaddafi ...
and
Mutassim Gaddafi Mutassim Billah Gaddafi (, also transliterated as Al-Moa'tassem Bellah Al-Qaddafi or Al-Mutasim Billah al-Qadhafi; 18 December 1974 – 20 October 2011) was a Libyan military officer, and the National Security Advisor of Libya from 2008 until ...
in
Sirte Sirte (; , ), also spelled Sirt, Surt, Sert or Syrte, is a city in Libya. It is located south of the Gulf of Sirte, almost right in the middle between Tripoli and Benghazi. It is famously known for its battles, ethnic groups and loyal ...
, but later left to inform his wife that their
son A son is a male offspring; a boy or a man in relation to his parents. The female counterpart is a daughter. From a biological perspective, a son constitutes a first degree relative. Social issues In pre-industrial societies and some current ...
had been killed. In October,
Arrai TV Arrai TV () was an Arabic-language television station based in Syria. The channel was owned by Misha'an al-Juburi. During the Libyan Civil War in 2011, it was used by overseas Libyans to defend the Gaddafi Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar ...
, a pro-Gaddafi network in Syria, confirmed that Khamis Gaddafi had been killed on 29 August and reported that Mohammed Senussi was killed that day as well. On 20 October, Niger Foreign Minister
Mohamed Bazoum Mohamed Bazoum (; born 1 January 1960) is a Nigerien politician who served as the 10th List of heads of state of Niger, president of Niger from 2021 to 2023. He assumed office in April 2021 after winning the 2020–21 Nigerien general election, ...
told
Reuters Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide writing in 16 languages. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world. The agency ...
that he had fled to Niger. However, a Libyan fighter later told ''the Guardian'' that the rebels had the possession of three other men who were in Gaddafi's convoy when he was killed and that he believed one of them was Senussi. The other two were identified as Gaddafi's slain son Mutassim and one of his military commanders
Mansour Dhao Mansour Dhao Ibrahim (; sometimes spelled Dao or Daw) is a Libyan former politician. He was a prominent figure in the Gaddafi government, serving as Muammar Gaddafi's chief of security until they were both captured. Dhao was the leader of the reg ...
, who was still alive and confirmed his identity, as well as details of Gaddafi's death, to Human Rights Watch while in the hospital; Dhao was earlier thought to have fled to Niger. Later reports surfaced that Senussi from his hideout in
Niger Niger, officially the Republic of the Niger, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is a unitary state Geography of Niger#Political geography, bordered by Libya to the Libya–Niger border, north-east, Chad to the Chad–Niger border, east ...
was helping
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi Saif al-Islam Muammar al-Gaddafi (; born 25 June 1972) is a Libyan political figure. He is the second son of the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and his second wife Safia Farkash. He was a part of his father's inner circle, performing publ ...
escape from Libya. Senussi was reportedly captured on 20 November near the city of Sabha. It was afterwards reported that he would be taken to
Tripoli Tripoli or Tripolis (from , meaning "three cities") may refer to: Places Greece *Tripolis (region of Arcadia), a district in ancient Arcadia, Greece * Tripolis (Larisaia), an ancient Greek city in the Pelasgiotis district, Thessaly, near Larissa ...
to stand trial for charges of
crimes against humanity Crimes against humanity are certain serious crimes committed as part of a large-scale attack against civilians. Unlike war crimes, crimes against humanity can be committed during both peace and war and against a state's own nationals as well as ...
, according to the
National Transitional Council The National Transitional Council (NTC) was a transitional government established in the 2011 Libyan civil war. After rebel forces overthrew the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya of Muammar Gaddafi in August 2011, the NTC governed Libya for a further ...
. However, ICC chief prosecutor
Luis Moreno Ocampo Luis Moreno OcampoMoreno Ocampo's surnames are often hyphenated in English-language media to mark Moreno as a surname, not a given name. (born 4 June 1952) is an Argentine lawyer who served as the first prosecutor of the International Criminal ...
doubted Senussi was captured. Libyan defense minister Osama Jweli also stated that there was no evidence Senussi had been captured. On 4 December 2011, Abdullah Nakir, a Libyan official, told
Al Arabiya Arabiya (, transliterated: '; meaning "The Arabic One" or "The Arab One") is a Saudi state-owned international Arabic news television channel. It is based in Riyadh and is a subsidiary of MBC Group. The channel is a flagship of the media c ...
that Senussi was arrested and was being questioned about a secret nuclear facility Gaddafi was operating, but admitted that the Libyan government was unable to produce any photographs of him in custody.


Arrest and legal cases

On 17 March 2012, news reports stated that Senussi had been arrested at Nouakchott airport in
Mauritania Mauritania, officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, is a sovereign country in Maghreb, Northwest Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Western Sahara to Mauritania–Western Sahara border, the north and northwest, ...
. The Libyan government was reported as having requested his extradition to Libya. In September 2012, Lebanese foreign minister
Adnan Mansour Adnan Mansour (; born 5 January 1946) is a Lebanese diplomat, politician and the former minister of foreign affairs and emigrants. Early life and education Mansour was born in Bourj el-Barajneh on 5 January 1946 into a Shi'ite family. He obta ...
and a Lebanese judge questioned him on the fate of Imam Musa Sadr to which he admitted that the Imam was killed after a heated argument with Gaddafi, and it was Saeed Rashed who carried out the killing as always. On 5 September 2012, Mauritania extradited Senussi to Libyan authorities. A trial against Senussi for crimes he allegedly committed during the time he was a close assistant to Gaddafi started in Libya. On the grounds that Senussi's case was being tried in Libyan courts, the
International Criminal Court The International Criminal Court (ICC) is an intergovernmental organization and International court, international tribunal seated in The Hague, Netherlands. It is the first and only permanent international court with jurisdiction to prosecute ...
(ICC) concluded its case against Senussi in July 2014. In September 2013, Senussi's daughter, Anoud, was kidnapped after serving a 10-month sentence for using a forged passport. Libyan security forces later admitted being behind the kidnapping and claimed that it was for her "own protection." In July 2015, Senussi was
sentenced to death Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty and formerly called judicial homicide, is the state-sanctioned killing of a person as punishment for actual or supposed misconduct. The sentence ordering that an offender be punished in s ...
by a Libyan court. Mass protests broke out in Sabha and Brak to protest the sentence and members of Senussi's
Magarha __NOTOC__ The Magarha (also ''al-Magarha'', ''Meqariha'') () is one of the major Arab tribes of Libya. They originate from Fezzan province of Libya and have been an influential supporters and beneficiaries of Muammar Gaddafi during his long rule ...
tribe threatened to turn off water supply from the
Great Man-Made River The Great Man-Made River (GMMR, , ) is a network of pipes that supplies fresh water obtained from the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System fossil aquifer across Libya. It is the world's largest irrigation project. The project utilizes a pipeline syst ...
to Tripoli, unless the sentence was overturned. The case was under appeal as of October 2015. , the ICC continued to monitor the progress of the Libyan legal proceedings against Senussi. In June 2017, Haitham Tajouri’s Tripoli Revolutionaries’ Brigade seized al-Hadba prison and relocated Senussi to the
Radisson Blu Al Mahary Hotel Tripoli The Radisson Blu Al Mahary Hotel Tripoli is a modern tourist hotel in Tripoli, Libya, near Grand Hotel Tripoli. Data & History It was built in 1989 and completely remodeled in 2009 to international standards as part of Radisson Hotels. It is l ...
, where he was sighted having a
Iftar ''Iftar'' () is the Fasting in Islam, fast-breaking Supper, evening meal of Muslims in Ramadan at the time of ' (call to prayer) of the Maghrib prayer. Iftar is the second meal of the day; during Ramadan, the daily fast begins immediately a ...
meal with his family and members of his
Magarha __NOTOC__ The Magarha (also ''al-Magarha'', ''Meqariha'') () is one of the major Arab tribes of Libya. They originate from Fezzan province of Libya and have been an influential supporters and beneficiaries of Muammar Gaddafi during his long rule ...
tribe. In March 2019, twenty family member and members of Senussi's tribe, the
Magarha __NOTOC__ The Magarha (also ''al-Magarha'', ''Meqariha'') () is one of the major Arab tribes of Libya. They originate from Fezzan province of Libya and have been an influential supporters and beneficiaries of Muammar Gaddafi during his long rule ...
, called for Senussi to be released on the basis of medical problems and "to contribute to and consolidate national reconciliation". In December 2020, families of victims of
Irish Republican Army The Irish Republican Army (IRA) is a name used by various Resistance movement, resistance organisations in Ireland throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. Organisations by this name have been dominantly Catholic and dedicated to anti-imperiali ...
bombings demanded the British Home Secretary
Priti Patel Dame Priti Sushil Patel (born 29 March 1972) is a British politician who has served as Shadow Foreign Secretary since November 2024, having previously served as Home Secretary from 2019 to 2022. A member of the Conservative Party, she was Secr ...
to extradite Senussi to the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
. In August 2021, gunmen stormed several water distribution centers and gave the authority 72 hours to release Senussi from detention. As of July 2022, Senussi was in the custody of the
RADA Special Deterrence Forces State of Libya Al Radaa For Countering Terrorism & Organized Crime. () is a Madkhali radical Islamist special operations military police unit formed in Tripoli Libya for the purpose of tackling crime. It is also known as RADA Special Deterren ...
as Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah negotiated with Senussi's
Magarha __NOTOC__ The Magarha (also ''al-Magarha'', ''Meqariha'') () is one of the major Arab tribes of Libya. They originate from Fezzan province of Libya and have been an influential supporters and beneficiaries of Muammar Gaddafi during his long rule ...
tribe about his potential release from prison. In December 2022, Abdul Hamid Dbeibah stated that Libya did not intend to extradite Senussi to the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. It was alleged that his extradition was halted due to public anger after the extradition of another ex-senior Libyan intelligence operative, Mohammed Abouagela Masud, to the United States.


References


External links


Libya: Who is propping up Gaddafi?
Frank Gardner, ''
BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broad ...
'', 23 February 2011 {{DEFAULTSORT:Senussi, Abdullah 1949 births Living people Gaddafi family Libyan military personnel People indicted by the International Criminal Court People of the Libyan civil war (2011) People extradited from Mauritania People extradited to Libya Libyan people imprisoned abroad Libyan prisoners and detainees Libyan politicians convicted of crimes Pan Am Flight 103 Place of birth missing (living people)