Libyan prosecutors were investigating Wednesday the killing of the son of slain ruler Muammar Gaddafi, Seif al-Islam, once seen by some as Libya's heir apparent despite an international arrest warrant.
The public prosecutor's office said forensic experts had been dispatched to Zintan in northwest Libya, where he was shot dead, adding that efforts were underway to identify suspects.
"The victim died from wounds by gunfire," the office said in a statement, adding that investigators were looking to "speak to witnesses and anyone who may be able to shed light on the incident".
Marcel Ceccaldi, a French lawyer who had been representing Seif al-Islam, told AFP he was killed by an unidentified "four-man commando" who stormed his house on Tuesday.
Following a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity, Seif al-Islam was arrested by Libyan authorities in 2011. A Tripoli court later sentenced him to death but he was granted amnesty.
Global rights group Amnesty International said in a statement that the death of the alleged author of crimes against humanity "robs survivors and relatives of victims of their rights to truth, justice and reparations".
The group said it also highlighted "the pervasive climate of impunity in Libya fuelling crimes under international law and other violations by unaccountable and abusive militias and armed groups".
The younger Gaddafi, 53, had been seen by some as his father's successor. He had a doctorate from the London School of Economics and had been associated with some of London's elite, including former prince Andrew.
- 'Purely political' killing -
While he held no official position under his father's iron-fisted 40-year rule, he had been described as Libya's de facto prime minister, cultivating an image of moderation and reform.
But that reputation soon collapsed when he promised "rivers of blood" in the face of the 2011 popular uprisings that overthrew his father.
In 2021 he announced he would run for president, but the elections were indefinitely postponed.
The head of the Presidential Council, a transitional body supposed to represent all of divided Libya under a UN agreement, urged "political forces, the media and social actors to show restraint in public statements and to avoid incitement to hate".
"We call on all political forces to wait for the results of the official investigation," a statement by Mohamed al-Menfi said, referring to Seif al-Islam as a "presidential candidate".
Menfi added that escalation could "undermine efforts at national reconciliation and the holding of free and fair elections".
Libya has struggled to recover from chaos that erupted after an uprising in 2011, latterly backed by NATO, overthrew Muammar Gaddafi.
It remains split between a UN-backed government based in Tripoli and an eastern administration backed by Khalifa Haftar.
No information has been released on his burial, but his adviser Abdullah Othman Abdurrahim told Libyan media that an autopsy had been completed and he could be buried in Bani Walid, south of the capital Tripoli.
Very little has emerged about the identity or motives of the assailants, and diverging speculations have ensued among the public.
Many like those interview by AFP in Tripoli, 35-year-old shopkeeper Marwan Salama said the killing was "purely political".
It was aimed at "diverting attention" and "paving the way for a unified government" that would bring together eastern and western rival powers.
Other experts have also said Seif al-Islam could have proved an alternative to either authority.
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