Qaddafi's Playboy Son Gets a Prison Haircut

Pictures of Al-Saadi Qaddafi receiving a particularly harsh shave and haircut in the hands of Libyan authorities appeared all over social media last night, as the fugitive son of former Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi was finally extradited to Libya from Niger.

The photos, posted to the Facebook page of the Tripoli Revolutionaries Brigade, a government affiliated Libyan militia, showed a scraggly, disheveled man — a far cry from Saadi’s preferred look of slicked back hair, a custom-made suit, and sunglasses. He is now being held in Hadaba prison in Tripoli.

A special forces commander and president of Libya's soccer federation, Saadi fled during the 2011 Libyan revolution and sought refuge in Niger, which offered him entry on humanitarian grounds.

The government of Niger had previously denied extradition requests, on fears that he would be executed if returned back to Libya, despite Interpol issuing a “red notice” in 2012 that required all member states to arrest him. Libya has been seeking the extradition of Qaddafi family members and top officials since the end of the 2011 uprising.

Saadi’s much more prominent brother, Saif al-Islam, is still held by rebels in Western Libya who refuse to hand him over.

In a statement, the Libyan Interim government thanked the government of Niger and said that it “is keen that the suspect… will receive a just and a fair treatment that will reflect international standards.”

Saadi was best known for his attempts at playing professional soccer, having captained Libya’s national team and briefly played professional ball in Italy. His sporting career never took off, however. Italian newspaper La Repubblica reportedly analyzed one of his brief appearances on the soccer field with the observation: "Even at twice his current speed he would still be twice as slow as slow itself."

Saadi never figured prominently into the Qaddafi family’s political maneuverings but was known instead for his playboy lifestyle. In a 2009 cable released by Wikileaks, an American diplomat referred to Saadi as the “black sheep” of the family and noted his hard-partying ways and frequent trysts with both men and women. "His bisexuality is reportedly a point of extreme contention with his father,” the cable continued.

Rida Ali, a prominent Libyan online activist, told VICE News that Libyans had already got closure on the day Muammar Qaddafi died, but that Saadi’s arrest was a reminder of what Libyans had fought for. “After 3 years of very turbulent times politically, Saadi Qaddafi being brought home is a reminder of why Libyans revolted,” he said in an email. “It’s a reminder why we should keep fighting and putting up with the bumpy road and never go back to an authoritarian regime.”