Massive people smuggling trial starts in NL; Victims tortured, raped & families extorted
The substantive trial in one of the largest human smuggling cases in Dutch history is underway in the court in Zwolle, De Stentor reported. The first of nine planned sessions began Monday against Eritrean suspect Walid D., who is accused of running a vast criminal network that smuggled thousands of migrants from Eritrea to Europe and held them hostage in Libya, where they were tortured and raped.
Walid, who has denied being the person the authorities are seeking, gave a brief statement in court, claiming he is not Walid, does not speak the language, and does not understand the charges.
The court noted that the suspect may be known by more than 20 names and that official documents from Eritrea could not confirm his identity beyond reasonable doubt. “What matters is whether you are the person witnesses identify as Walid, who ran a migrant holding camp in Libya and led a human smuggling network,” the presiding judge said.
The case also involves Kidane Zekarias H., another Eritrean suspect, who is currently detained in Dubai and expected to be extradited to the Netherlands. Both are accused of extorting the families of their victims, demanding large sums of money to secure the release.
During the trial, Walid’s lawyers attempted to halt the trial, arguing there was no clear connection to the Netherlands. The court rejected the defense’s arguments, ruling that the prosecution may proceed. However, charges of money laundering were removed because Walid had not been extradited from Ethiopia for those alleged crimes.
According to the Dutch Public Prosecution Service (OM), Walid and Kidane profited heavily from human smuggling, extortion, and other crimes. The prosecution emphasized that the Ethiopian conviction of Walid involved different victims than those in the Netherlands, making the Dutch trial permissible.
“This is one of the largest human trafficking trials ever conducted in the Netherlands,” said a spokesperson for the OM. “These people have endured extreme violence, rape, and extortion. The fact that organizations profit from this, not only from smuggling but also from extorting families, is an inhumane business model that we intend to confront vigorously.”
Experts say the case is particularly significant for the Eritrean community in the Netherlands. Mirjam van Riesen, a professor at Tilburg University, noted that many Eritrean families in the country have been contacted by relatives held in Libyan camps, often receiving videos showing horrific abuse, followed by demands for ransom. “It’s really the first time this story has come before a court. In Eritrea, there’s nothing, and in Libya, there’s nothing. There’s complete impunity,” Van Riesen said.
The trial, which involves a dossier exceeding 25,000 pages, is being closely followed by international media. A verdict is expected by mid-January 2026.
