The son of Libya’s longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi has been given the go-ahead to run in the country’s upcoming presidential election, his lawyer said, a week after being disqualified for what Libyan authorities said were war crimes committed during the uprising against his father over a decade ago.

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi’s lawyer, Khaled al-Zaydi, confirmed to Al Jazeera on Thursday that the court in Sebha accepted his client’s appeal, lodged earlier in the day, and that he would therefore be reinstated in the presidential election scheduled to take part later this month.

In disqualifying Gaddafi, Libya’s electoral commission pointed to articles of the electoral law which stipulates that candidates “must not have been sentenced for a dishonourable crime” and must present a clean criminal record.

Western officials in a United Nations-led peace process are insisting on an “inclusive” and “credible” elections starting on December 24 in the North African country, despite serious disputes over how they should be held, and their credibility.

Libya is seeking to move beyond a decade of violence that has rocked the oil-rich nation since a NATO-backed uprising toppled and killed Gaddafi senior in 2011.

Gaddafi, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes, had registered to run on November 14 but was disqualified alongside 25 other candidates last week.

Th election board said the 25 had been rejected on legal grounds as well as information from officials including the public prosecutor, a police chief and the head of the passports and citizenship department.

Gaddafi had lodged an appeal in Sebha, but last week a “group of outlaws” launched an “odious” attack on the court, forcing it to shut hours before the appeal hearing, the government in Tripoli said.

He was the first heavyweight candidate to sign up for the election, after emerging from years in the shadows and telling The New York Times in July that he was planning a political comeback.

In the interview, Gaddafi said he wanted to “restore the lost unity” of Libya after a decade of chaos.