The former colonel, Abd al-Moneim al-Honi, has broken with the Qadhdhafi regime, but the truth of his remarks could not be proven. The expected fall of the regime in Libya may finally reveal the truth of what happened to Sadr.
Sadr was born in Qom in 1928 to a prominent Lebanese family. He was raised there and in Tehran. In 1960, he accepted an invitation to move to Lebanon as a cleric and soon became the major figure among the Shiites, fighting for better treatment of a minority that was largely brushed aside by all the other sects in Lebanon.
In August 1978, Sadr and two aides went to Libya. None has been seen since. The Libyan regime said Sadr left Libya after a few days and flew to Italy. Italy says it has no records of Sadr ever arriving in the country.
The former colonel, who took part in the 1969 coup that brought Qadhdhafi to power, said last week that Qadhdhafi ordered Sadr killed during his visit and had him buried in southern Libya in Sebha.
Over the years, various reports have said Sadr was imprisoned or killed by Qadhdhafi. Some said the Libyan strongman turned on Sadr after the two men got into a violent argument.
Sadr’s disappearance has been a major issue with the Iranian clergy. As a result, relations between Libya and Iran have generally been sour throughout the Islamic Republic.
Sadr’s daughter, Hawra, is married to an Iranian. She said last week that she has hopes he may still be found alive in one of Qadhdhafi’s prisons. If so, he would turn 83 in this month.
Sadr went to Libya to urge it to stop sending arms to the Palestine Liberation Organization, which was stoking violence in Lebanon.