Graves of the deposed, exiled and reviled
As Gaddafi’s last resting place continues to be debated, Al Jazeera looks at the fate of other controversial ex-leaders.
The question of where Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi will be laid to rest is sure to be a contentious one. After all, where to bury a man so associated with his country?
The question has been asked before – and in some cases, such as with Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, there are no easy answers.
The body of Hitler, who committed suicide at the tail end of World War II, along with that of his wife, Eva Braun, were set on fire.
They were then reportedly moved to various locations in the Soviet Union, and, depending on who you believe, either properly cremated at some point or were ground up and tossed into a river by the KGB.
It remains unclear whether Gaddafi’s remains will be sent to a country with which Libya had friendly relations – Russia, or perhaps, Pakistan? – or if he will be granted a final resting place in Libya itself.
Libyan government officials said on Monday that Gaddafi would no longer be kept in public view, and that the gates of the cold storage unit where he had been thus far been displayed are now locked.
As the debate continues, Al Jazeera looks at the final fate of other controversial former leaders, including the Shah of Iran, who was laid to rest in a tomb in a foreign land and al-Qaeda’s Osama bin Laden, who was buried at sea.