Libyan family files U.S. lawsuit against Khalifa and Saddam Haftar for alleged war crimes

A new federal lawsuit has been filed in the United States targeting Khalifa Haftar, leader of Libya’s eastern government, and his son, Saddam Haftar, over alleged war crimes linked to a deadly 2019 attack in Tripoli. The lawsuit, reported by the Libya Observer, was brought forward by the Libyan American Alliance, an advocacy group representing Libyans in the diaspora and promoting democratic governance in Libya.

The case was filed on behalf of a Libyan family who lost multiple relatives in the Tripoli attack, which is believed to have been orchestrated by the Haftars and carried out by mercenaries from Russia’s Wagner Group. A surviving family member, identified as Mohammed, claims that the family’s boys were executed by Wagner forces acting under orders from the Haftars.

According to the Libyan American Alliance, Saddam Haftar was formally served with the lawsuit while visiting Washington, D.C. last week, where he was reportedly meeting with officials from the U.S. State Department to discuss American interests in Libya.

Both Khalifa and Saddam Haftar hold dual U.S. and Libyan citizenship. Khalifa Haftar previously lived in the United States for about 20 years and is alleged to have collaborated with the CIA following his break with former Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi. He later returned to Libya, eventually seizing power in the east of the country.

The Alliance argues that the Haftars’ ties to the Wagner Group—designated a transnational criminal organization by the U.S. Treasury Department in 2023—could make them subject to criminal accountability under U.S. law.

This case adds to a series of lawsuits filed in Virginia, three of which had previously stalled after a federal judge declined to move forward, reportedly without providing a clear explanation. However, an appeal hearing scheduled for May 7 aims to revive those cases.

“This marks a significant victory for victims and for our efforts to revive these critical cases,” the Libyan American Alliance stated.