Editing Muammar Gaddafi (section)

=== Capture and killing ===
{{main|Killing of Muammar Gaddafi|International reactions to the killing of Muammar Gaddafi}}
After the [[Battle of Tripoli (2011)|fall of Tripoli]], only a few towns in western Libya such as [[Bani Walid]], [[Sabha, Libya|Sebha]], and [[Sirte]] remained Gaddafist strongholds.{{sfn|St. John|2012|p=286}} Gaddafi was reportedly planning to catch up with his Sebha commander [[Ali Kanna]]'s [[Tuareg people|Tuareg]] forces and seek asylum in [[Burkina Faso]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Negotiations over Bani Walid |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2011/9/6/large-libyan-armoured-convoy-arrives-in-niger |access-date=21 February 2023 |website=www.aljazeera.com |language=en |archive-date=26 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230226221447/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2011/9/6/large-libyan-armoured-convoy-arrives-in-niger |url-status=live }}</ref> Instead, Gaddafi retreated to his hometown of Sirte,{{sfn|Human Rights Watch|2012|p=20}} where he convened a meeting with his son [[Mutassim Gaddafi|Mutassim]] and intelligence chief [[Abdullah Senussi]] and learned that his youngest son [[Khamis Gaddafi|Khamis]] had been killed by a NATO airstrike on 29 August.<ref name=":9">{{Cite news |title=Hunted: A first-hand account of Gaddafi's desperate last days |language=en-US |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2012/10/17/hunted-a-first-hand-account-of-gaddafis-desperate-last-days/ |access-date=21 February 2023 |issn=0190-8286 |archive-date=23 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230223233023/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2012/10/17/hunted-a-first-hand-account-of-gaddafis-desperate-last-days/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In the weeks that followed, Gaddafi continued to broadcast defiant audio messages through Syria-based [[Arrai TV]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=20 September 2011 |title=Gaddafi taunts NATO in new broadcast |url=https://www.france24.com/en/20110920-libya-gaddafi-defies-nato-new-broadcast-syria-tv |access-date=21 February 2023 |website=France 24 |language=en |archive-date=21 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230221012807/https://www.france24.com/en/20110920-libya-gaddafi-defies-nato-new-broadcast-syria-tv |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=16 September 2011 |title=Gaddafi broadcasts are "sacred right" - TV chief |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-libya-syria-television-idUKTRE78F1IW20110916 |access-date=21 February 2023 |archive-date=21 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230221012758/https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-libya-syria-television-idUKTRE78F1IW20110916 |url-status=live }}</ref>{{sfn|St. John|2012|p=286}} On 10 September, General Massoud Abdel Hafiz announced the formation of the Republic of [[Fezzan]] in Sebha, where Gaddafi would be president for life.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Al-awsat |first=Asharq |title=Middle-east Arab News Opinion |url=https://eng-archive.aawsat.com/theaawsat/news-middle-east/gaddafi-threatened-to-wipe-my-hometown-off-the-map-jailed-libyan-official |access-date=21 February 2023 |website=eng-archive.aawsat.com |date=10 September 2011 |language=UK |archive-date=22 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230222230759/https://eng-archive.aawsat.com/theaawsat/news-middle-east/gaddafi-threatened-to-wipe-my-hometown-off-the-map-jailed-libyan-official |url-status=live }}</ref> Sebha fell on 22 September.<ref>{{Cite news |date=22 September 2011 |title=Libya conflict: Anti-Gaddafi fighters take Sabha |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-15029062 |access-date=21 February 2023 |archive-date=21 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230221012802/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-15029062 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Surrounding himself with bodyguards and a small entourage,{{sfn|Human Rights Watch|2012|p=20}} including Mutassim, security chief [[Mansour Dhao]], and defense minister [[Abu-Bakr Yunis Jabr]], Gaddafi continually changed residences to escape NATO and NTC shelling, devoting his days to prayer and reading the Qur'an.{{sfn|Human Rights Watch|2012|pp=21–22}}<ref>{{Cite news |last=Fahim |first=Kareem |date=22 October 2011 |title=In His Last Days, Qaddafi Wearied of Fugitive's Life |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/23/world/africa/in-his-last-days-qaddafi-wearied-of-fugitives-life.html |access-date=21 February 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=2 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181002071630/https://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/23/world/africa/in-his-last-days-qaddafi-wearied-of-fugitives-life.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":9" /> On 20 October, Gaddafi recorded a farewell audio message for his family, later publicized by [[AlHadath]], and then broke out of Sirte's District 2 in a joint civilian-military convoy.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nova |first=Redazione Agenzia |date=21 October 2021 |title=Libya, Gaddafi's latest message: "Tonight I will die a martyr, be proud of me" |url=https://www.agenzianova.com/en/news/libya-Gaddafi%27s-last-message-tonight-I-will-die-as-a-martyr-be-proud-of-me/ |access-date=21 February 2023 |website=Agenzia Nova |language=en |archive-date=21 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230221012809/https://www.agenzianova.com/en/news/libya-Gaddafi%27s-last-message-tonight-I-will-die-as-a-martyr-be-proud-of-me/ |url-status=live }}</ref>{{sfn|Human Rights Watch|2012|p=23}}<ref name="BBC20112">{{cite news |date=22 October 2011 |title=Muammar Gaddafi: How He Died |publisher=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15390980 |url-status=live |access-date=22 October 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130202232503/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15390980 |archive-date=2 February 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ebatamehi |first=Sebastiane |title=Gaddafi's Emotional Farewell Message to His Family Before He was Killed {{!}} The African Exponent. |url=https://www.africanexponent.com/post/9311-last-audio-message-muammar-gaddafis-sent-to-his-family-surfaces |access-date=21 February 2023 |website=The African Exponent |language=en |archive-date=21 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230221012808/https://www.africanexponent.com/post/9311-last-audio-message-muammar-gaddafis-sent-to-his-family-surfaces |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Akhalbey |first=Francis |date=22 October 2018 |title=Listen to Gaddafi's last audio recording addressed to his family hours before he was killed |url=https://face2faceafrica.com/article/listen-to-gaddafis-last-audio-recording-addressed-to-his-family-hours-before-he-was-killed |access-date=21 February 2023 |website=Face2Face Africa |language=en |archive-date=21 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230221012759/https://face2faceafrica.com/article/listen-to-gaddafis-last-audio-recording-addressed-to-his-family-hours-before-he-was-killed |url-status=live }}</ref> According to Dhao, it was a "suicide mission" as Gaddafi wanted to die in the Jarref Valley, close to where he was born.<ref>{{Cite news |date=30 October 2011 |title=Gaddafi: 'He died an angry and disappointed man' |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-15516678 |access-date=21 February 2023 |archive-date=21 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230221012758/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-15516678 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Hayden |first=Erik |date=31 October 2011 |title=Qaddafi's Frantic Last Days Get Reexamined |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2011/10/qaddafis-frantic-last-days-get-reexamined/336120/ |access-date=21 February 2023 |website=The Atlantic |language=en |archive-date=21 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230221012758/https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2011/10/qaddafis-frantic-last-days-get-reexamined/336120/ |url-status=live }}</ref> At around 08:30, NATO bombers attacked, destroying at least 14 vehicles and killing at least 53 people.<ref name="BBC20112" />{{sfn|Human Rights Watch|2012|pp=24–25}} The convoy scattered, and Gaddafi and those closest to him fled to a nearby villa, which was shelled by rebel militia from Misrata. Fleeing to a construction site, Gaddafi and his inner cohort hid inside drainage pipes while his bodyguards battled the rebels; in the conflict, Gaddafi suffered head injuries from a grenade blast while Jabr was killed.<ref name="BBC20112" />{{sfn|Human Rights Watch|2012|pp=26–27}}
The Misrata militia took Gaddafi prisoner, causing serious injuries as they tried to apprehend him; the events were filmed on a mobile phone. A video appears to picture Gaddafi being poked or stabbed in the anus "with some kind of stick or knife"<ref>{{cite news |title=GlobalPost: Qaddafi Apparently Sodomized After Capture |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/globalpost-qaddafi-apparently-sodomized-after-capture/ |publisher=CBS |date=24 October 2011 |access-date=13 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170209160624/http://www.cbsnews.com/news/globalpost-qaddafi-apparently-sodomized-after-capture/ |archive-date=9 February 2017 |url-status=live  }}</ref> or possibly a bayonet.<ref name="Irish Times">{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/gadafy-s-killers-will-be-tried-claims-ntc-1.632918|newspaper=[[The Irish Times]]|first=Martin|last=Chulov|title=Gadafy's Killers Will Be Tried, Claims NTC|date=28 October 2011|access-date=13 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150705045035/http://www.irishtimes.com/news/gadafy-s-killers-will-be-tried-claims-ntc-1.632918|archive-date=5 July 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://time.com/6280869/vladimir-putin-russia-assassination/|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|title=Why Putin Is Right to Fear for His Life|author=Sebag-Montefiore, Simon|language=en-US|url-status=live|date=18 May 2023|access-date=20 May 2023|archive-date=18 May 2023|archive-url=https://archive.today/20230518210356/https://time.com/6280869/vladimir-putin-russia-assassination/}}</ref> Pulled onto the front of a pick-up truck, he fell off as it drove away. His semi-naked body was then placed into an ambulance and taken to [[Misrata]]; upon arrival, he was found to be dead.{{sfn|Human Rights Watch|2012|pp=28–29}} Official NTC accounts claimed that Gaddafi was caught in a crossfire and died from bullet wounds. Other eye-witness accounts claimed that rebels had fatally shot Gaddafi in the stomach.<ref name="BBC20112"/>

That afternoon, NTC Prime Minister [[Mahmoud Jibril]] publicly revealed the news of Gaddafi's death.<ref name="BBC20112"/> His corpse was placed in the freezer of a local market alongside the corpses of Yunis Jabr and Mutassim; the bodies were publicly displayed for four days, with Libyans from all over the country coming to view them.<ref>{{cite news|title=Report: Libyan Militias Executed Dozens, Possibly Including Gadhafi|url=http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/10/17/report-libyan-militias-executed-dozens-possibly-including-gadhafi/|publisher=CNN|access-date=18 October 2012|date=17 October 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130126085743/http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/10/17/report-libyan-militias-executed-dozens-possibly-including-gadhafi/|archive-date=26 January 2013}}</ref> Footage of Gaddafi's death was broadcast extensively across media networks internationally.{{sfn|Karniel|Lavie-Dinur|Azran|2015|pp=171, 176}} In response to international calls, on 24 October Jibril announced that a commission would investigate Gaddafi's death.{{sfn|Human Rights Watch|2012|p=44}} On 25 October, the NTC announced that Gaddafi had been buried at an unidentified location in the desert.<ref>{{cite news |title=Muammar Gaddafi 'Buried in Desert Grave at Dawn' |date=21 October 2011 |publisher=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15441867 |access-date=3 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111101155135/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15441867 |archive-date=1 November 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref>