"Proud of Gaddafi": 15 years since his elimination - in Libya they miss the mad tyrant

15 years after the assassination of Muammar Gaddafi, this article reviews his 42-year brutal rule, including oppression, a massacre of prisoners, and support for terrorism, alongside the longing of some Libyans amid civil wars and political division in the country.

This week, Libya marked 15 years since the assassination of dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed on October 20, 2011, in the city of Sirte during the Arab Spring protests. The article reviews his 42-year rule, which began with a military coup in 1969 against King Idris, and included nationalization of oil, adoption of Sharia law, a personality cult, and brutal suppression of opponents. Among other things, it mentions the massacre of 1,269 prisoners in 1996 and his support for terrorist organizations. Despite this, there is a public in Libya that longs for his era, against the backdrop of civil wars and political division between two governments in the east and west. The article quotes a Tripoli resident praising Gaddafi for preserving the unity of the homeland, and another supporter calling him "history itself." It also notes that in February 2026, his son Saif al-Islam was eliminated, who was considered a presidential candidate, and Gaddafi supporters are seeking a political successor among his family members.