News / National
Gaddafi son now seeking political asylum in Zimbabwe
15 Nov 2018 at 05:58hrs | Views
AN adopted son of the late Libyan ruler, Muammar Gaddafi, Abhallha Mone Moussa Moummare, is now considering seeking political asylum in Zimbabwe after spending three years in remand prison without trial, his lawyer has said.
Charles Warara, the attorney recently engaged by Moummare to challenge his continued stay in prison without trial, said his client was considering seeking asylum or being deported to a safe country as Libya continued to be in perpetual war crisis.
"He is still looking at options and among the options available was to seek asylum or that he be taken to a country which would agree to keep him for safety. We shall be filing soon after considering all available options," Warara said.
Gaddafi was deposed from power and killed in 2011 after the popular Arab spring which swept across the Arab region, including Tunisia.
In July this year, the adopted son of the late ruler approached the High Court on a self-representation basis, challenging his continued detention before Warara stepped in to assist him.
Initially, the Libyan had wanted to be treated as a refuge, but now he intends to get asylum so that he could settle in Zimbabwe and restart his life.
According to his handwritten High Court application, which was forwarded to Warara for legal assistance, the slain Libyan leader's son said he came to Zimbabwe because his father had a good relationship with the country's leadership.
"I left the county Libya after the assassination of my father in 2011 to seek asylum and protection in Zimbabwe due to the good relationship between Libya and Zimbabwe," he wrote in the application.
He said when he arrived in the country in April 2014, he presented himself to authorities with the hope that he would be taken to a refugee camp, but instead, he was taken to the remand prison. No charges, however, have been levelled against him to date.
Charles Warara, the attorney recently engaged by Moummare to challenge his continued stay in prison without trial, said his client was considering seeking asylum or being deported to a safe country as Libya continued to be in perpetual war crisis.
"He is still looking at options and among the options available was to seek asylum or that he be taken to a country which would agree to keep him for safety. We shall be filing soon after considering all available options," Warara said.
Gaddafi was deposed from power and killed in 2011 after the popular Arab spring which swept across the Arab region, including Tunisia.
In July this year, the adopted son of the late ruler approached the High Court on a self-representation basis, challenging his continued detention before Warara stepped in to assist him.
Initially, the Libyan had wanted to be treated as a refuge, but now he intends to get asylum so that he could settle in Zimbabwe and restart his life.
According to his handwritten High Court application, which was forwarded to Warara for legal assistance, the slain Libyan leader's son said he came to Zimbabwe because his father had a good relationship with the country's leadership.
"I left the county Libya after the assassination of my father in 2011 to seek asylum and protection in Zimbabwe due to the good relationship between Libya and Zimbabwe," he wrote in the application.
He said when he arrived in the country in April 2014, he presented himself to authorities with the hope that he would be taken to a refugee camp, but instead, he was taken to the remand prison. No charges, however, have been levelled against him to date.
Source - newsday
