A 42-year-old Eritrean national, Amanuel Walid (alias Tewelde Goitom), faces demands for a 20-year prison term in the Netherlands for allegedly heading one of the most violent human-trafficking rings in post-Gaddafi Libya.
The Charges
Between 2014 and 2019, prosecutors say Walid commanded a criminal network that:
- Kidnapped thousands of African migrants
- Locked them in secret warehouses
- Tortured them with beatings, starvation, and water deprivation until families paid huge ransoms
- Forced survivors onto unseaworthy boats to Europe
This is the biggest human-trafficking case ever tried in the Netherlands and one of the rare European trials directly targeting the Libyan torture-camp system.
Silent in the Dock
Extradited from Ethiopia in 2022, Walid has refused to speak throughout the trial in Zwolle. His only words to the judges: “You have the wrong man.”
Survivors Speak Out
Victims who reached the Netherlands gave chilling testimony:
- Overcrowded warehouses with no food, water, or medicine
- Daily beatings with hoses, sticks, and cables
- Watching fellow captives die from injuries or hunger
One survivor, known only as “E”, told the court how Walid personally beat him unconscious with a water hose. He still doesn’t know if his friend who died in the warehouse was ever buried.
Universal Jurisdiction
Even though the crimes happened in Libya, Dutch law allows prosecution because many victims now live in the Netherlands.
What Happens Next
- Defence closing statements: Monday
- Verdict expected: January 2026
If convicted, Walid could spend the next two decades behind bars for crimes that turned Libya’s chaos into a torture-for-profit industry.
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