Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, Libya’s former president, has been restored by a court in Sebha.
On Thursday, Gaddafi’s lawyer, Khaled al-Zaydi, revealed that his client’s appeal had been allowed, calling the decision “a victory for justice and the people’s wish.”
Gaddafi’s Twitter campaign page featured a portrait of the smiling candidate, along with prayers to God.
The country’s election board rejected Gaddafi due to his absentia war crimes conviction in 2015Despite being convicted to death by a Tripoli court, he claims he is innocent. A warrant for him to be arrested has been issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC). His petition was met with challenges, including an assault on the court by gunmen afterward referred to as “a bunch of outlaws” by the Tripoli administration.
Libya’s election is scheduled for December 24, and the entire list of candidates will be disclosed in the coming days.
Gaddafi has promised to “restore the lost unity” of Libya, which was thrown into civil war in 2011 after Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown and brutally murdered by NATO-backed rebels.
Military leader Khalifa Haftar, the de facto ruler of Eastern Libya, will encounter stiff competition in Saif al-Islam Gaddafi’s presidential run.