Saif al-Islam Gaddafi’s funeral will be held in Bani Walid.

Tripoli: Relatives said Thursday that the slain son of former Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi will be buried in a town south of the capital that has remained loyal to the family. Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, once considered by some to be Libya’s next ruler, was shot dead Tuesday in the northwestern city of Zintan. His two brothers said the funeral would be held Friday in the town of Bani Walid, about 175 kilometers south of Tripoli. “The date and place of his funeral have been decided by mutual agreement among the family,” half-brother Mohammed Gaddafi said in a Facebook post. Mohammed said the plan shows “our respect” for the town, which has remained loyal to the elder Gaddafi years after the 2011 Arab Spring uprising that ousted and killed him. Every year, the town of approximately 100,000 inhabitants celebrates the anniversary of the 1969 coup that brought Muammar to power, parading through the streets with pictures of the former leader. Younger brother Saadi Gaddafi said his deceased brother would be buried among the influential local “Warfalla” tribe, next to the grave of his brother Khamis Gaddafi, who died during the 2011 unrest. Saif al-Islam’s French lawyer, Marcel Ceccaldi, told AFP that he was killed by an unknown “commando of four men” who stormed his home on Tuesday. Saif al-Islam had long been considered his father’s successor. Under the elder Gaddafi’s 40-year iron rule, he was described as a de facto prime minister, and despite holding no official position, he cultivated an image of moderation and reform. But that reputation quickly evaporated after he promised to “shed rivers of blood” in retaliation for the 2011 uprising. He was arrested that same year on a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity and was later sentenced to death by a court in Tripoli, although he was subsequently pardoned. In 2021, he announced he would run for president, but the elections were postponed indefinitely. Four of his six siblings are still alive: Mohammed, Saadi, Aisha, and Hannibal, who was recently released on bail from a Lebanese prison. Libya is struggling to recover from the chaos that followed the 2011 uprising. It remains divided between the UN-backed government in Tripoli and the eastern administration supported by Khalifa Haftar.