The moment Libyans had anticipated for 42 years had finally arrived – it was only natural that they desired to witness it firsthand.
Today, hundreds ignored the overwhelming stench of decaying flesh to catch a glimpse of their despised former dictator’s corpse, confirming that he would never return.
The sight of Colonel Gaddafi’s bloodied, bullet-riddled remains, discarded on a mattress within a meat locker, was both gruesome and undignified.
However, the macabre display did not deter long lines of people forming around the block, eager to stare at the fallen tyrant in the coastal city of Misrata.
His body was presented alongside that of his son, Mutassim, who had led the defense of Sirte, as well as Defence Minister Abu-Bakr Yunis Jabr.
Within a cold, damp room of the makeshift mortuary, the former leader’s body lay concealed beneath a blue blanket, leaving only his head visible while concealing the bruises on his torso and the scratch marks on his chest.