By Libya Herald reporter.
Tunis, 12 March 2017:
The family of Bashir Al-Rayani, the football coach whom Saadi Qaddafi is accused of murdering, are reported tohave denied that they are willing to accept “blood money” from Saadi in compensation for the killing.
Saadi is accused of ordering the murder in March 2006 of the Ittihad Tripoli coach. He denies the changes. Proceedings are ongoing, but the case which opened in June 2014 is expected to reconvene on Tuesday. He also faces a number of other charges, including illegally detaining people, financial corruption, seeking to suppress the 2011 revolution and illegal consumption of alcohol.
Under Sharia law, Diyah or blood money can be paid in compensation to the heirs of a victim in place of punishment. In this case, if Saadi is found guilty and the family refuse to accept compensation, he faces being executed.
Saadi was extradited from Niger in March 2014 amid claims that the then Libyan government paid a substantial sum to secure him.
In August 2015, a video allegedly showing him being tortured in Hadba prison was published on social media. Just over a fortnight ago, he was among a number of inmates interviewed about current conditions in the jail by Turkey’s Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief (IHH).
