Mansour Dhao
{{Short description|Chief of Security for the Gaddafi Government}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}}
Mansour Dhao Ibrahim ({{langx|ar|منصور ضو إبراهيم}}; sometimes spelled Dao or Daw) is a Libyan former politician. He was a prominent figure in the Gaddafi government, serving as Muammar Gaddafi's chief of security until they were both captured. Dhao was the leader of the regime's People's Guard. He is Gaddafi's cousin.{{Cite news |last=Peralta |first=Eyder |title=Gadhafi's Final Weeks, As Told By A Top Security Official |work=NPR |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2011/10/25/141694091/gadhafis-final-weeks-as-told-by-a-top-security-official}}
Biography
= Libyan Civil War and capture =
Dhao fled with Gaddafi during the Battle of Tripoli. On 20 October 2011, Dhao was captured in Sirte,{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15387872|work=BBC News|title=Libya's Col Gaddafi killed|date=20 October 2011|access-date=20 October 2011}} despite earlier reports that he was in Niger.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14814388|title=Libya conflict: Gaddafi aide Mansour Daw 'in Niamey'|work=BBC|date=7 September 2011|access-date=16 September 2011}} He was injured after a NATO airstrike destroyed the convoy in which he and Gaddafi were traveling, and he was taken into custody by fighters from Misrata.
Dhao was quoted at length in a New York Times piece published two days later in which he said he had been in Sirte since late August, he regretted his decision to remain loyal to Gaddafi, and his jailers were treating him well. Dhao also denied any role in the crackdown on the demonstrators during the protests of the 2011 Libyan civil war.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/23/world/africa/in-his-last-days-qaddafi-wearied-of-fugitives-life.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2&hp|work=The New York Times|first=Kareem|last=Fahim|title=In His Last Days, Qaddafi Wearied of Fugitive's Life|date=22 October 2011|access-date=23 October 2011}}
= Imprisonment and trial =
On 24 February 2012, Dhao claimed in a prison interview with BBC that he had not been given access to a lawyer or allowed to see his family. He also defended Gaddafi's legacy and claimed that, "his ideas as a philosopher or as a thinker will live on."{{Cite news|date=2012-02-24|title=Gaddafi right hand man General Dhao unbowed by capture|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-17155082|access-date=2022-02-12}}
On 24 September 2013, it was reported that Dhao was interviewed by Le Monde special correspondent Annick Cojean for the book Gaddafi's Harem. Dhao denied any role in facilitating Gaddafi's alleged sexual abuse, but implied other high-ranking officials, especially Nuri al-Mismari, were culpable.{{Cite web|title=Former Muammar Gaddafi security chief Mansour Daw lifts the lid on dictator's harem|url=https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/former-muammar-gaddafi-security-chief-mansour-daw-lifts-the-lid-on-dictator8217s-harem/news-story/d969ebb7a9dc029108202a8214cd7acd|website=The Courier Mail}}{{Cite web|last=Cojean|first=Annick|date=2013-09-22|title=Muammar Gaddafi's sexual crimes|url=https://www.salon.com/2013/09/22/muammar_gaddafis_sexual_crimes/|access-date=2022-02-12|website=Salon|language=en}}{{Cite web|date=2013-10-24|title=Book review: Gaddafi's Harem, By Annick Cojean, trans. Marjolijn de|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/book-review-gaddafi-s-harem-by-annick-cojean-trans-marjolijn-de-jager-8901967.html|access-date=2022-02-12|website=The Independent|language=en}}
In February 2015, Dhao appeared by video link from Misrata in his trial.{{Cite web|title=Trial of Gaddafi's son exposes 'weak government' in Libya|url=http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/trial-gaddafis-son-exposes-weak-government-libya|access-date=2022-02-12|website=Middle East Eye|language=en}}
On 12 August 2015, Dhao was among the nine top Gaddafi loyalists sentenced to death, along with Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, Abdullah Senussi, Baghdadi Mahmudi, Abuzed Dorda, Milad Salem Daman, Mondher Mukhtar al-Gheneimi, Abdul Hamid Ammar Waheda, and Awidaat Ghandour al-Noubi.{{Cite news|date=2015-08-11|title=Libya death sentences cast long shadow over rule of law|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-33855860|access-date=2022-02-12}}
On 26 October 2015, Human Rights Watch reported that Dhao alleged during a court session that the prosecution had offered to release him if he testified against Abdullah Senussi.{{Cite web|date=2015-10-26|title=Libya: Gaddafi Son Speaks From Jail|url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2015/10/26/libya-gaddafi-son-speaks-jail|access-date=2022-02-12|website=Human Rights Watch|language=en}}
= Release =
In July 2022, Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh engaged in negotiation with Gaddafi loyalists to release Dhao as part of a broader effort to win over Gaddafi loyalists from Khalifa Haftar's Tobruk government.{{Cite web |date=2022-07-04 |title=Libya: Gaddafi regime's last loyalists are negotiating their release from prison |url=https://www.theafricareport.com/218935/libya-gaddafi-regimes-last-loyalists-are-negotiating-their-release-from-prison/ |access-date=2023-01-26 |website=The Africa Report.com |language=en-US}}
In September 2022, the Ministry of Justice of the Government of National Unity ordered the release of Daw on health grounds. Daw reportedly planned to live in Cairo.{{Cite web |date=2015-07-28 |title=Ministry of Justice releases Mansour Daw, ex-regime prominent figure {{!}} The Libya Observer |url=https://libyaobserver.ly/inbrief/ministry-justice-releases-mansour-daw-ex-regime-prominent-figure |access-date=2023-06-15 |website=libyaobserver.ly |language=en}}
In December 2022, tribes in the Fezzan region gave the GNU a 72-hour ultimatum to release Daw, Abdullah Mansour, and Abdullah Senussi.{{Cite web |last=Emad |first=Mohamed |date=2022-12-15 |title=Libyan Tribes Announce 72-hour Deadline to Release Leaders of Gaddafi Regime |url=https://libyareview.com/29996/libyan-tribes-announce-72-hour-deadline-to-release-leaders-of-gaddafi-regime/ |access-date=2023-06-15 |website=LibyaReview |language=en-US}}
In February 2023, Daw was released from prison.{{Cite web |last=Emad |first=Mohamed |date=2023-02-20 |title=Gaddafi's Internal Security Chief Released after 12-Years in Prison |url=https://libyareview.com/32066/gaddafis-internal-security-chief-released-after-12-years-in-prison/ |access-date=2023-06-15 |website=LibyaReview |language=en-US}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Libyan civil war|state=uncollapsed}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dhao, Mansour}}
Category:Libyan Arab Socialist Union politicians
Category:People of the Libyan civil war (2011)
Category:Libyan prisoners and detainees
Category:Prisoners and detainees of Libya
Category:Libyan politicians convicted of crimes
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
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