Date: Sunday, 02 November 2025
Refugees from Eritrea were reportedly transported to Europe with false promises. En route, they were detained in specially established detention camps in Libya, where they lived in appalling conditions and were tortured and raped.
Meanwhile, family members in the Netherlands and elsewhere were being extorted. They were called and ordered to pay large sums of money to intermediaries in the Netherlands. If payment wasn't made, the torture worsened, and people remained incarcerated or were killed.
Walid D. isn't the only one facing trial in the Netherlands. Kidane Zekarias H., another ringleader of the network, has also been charged by the Public Prosecution Service. A total of seven suspects have been summoned for this criminal case.
Why is this international case being handled in the Netherlands? "That's a good question," says Mirjam van Reisen, professor at Tilburg University and expert on Eritrean human trafficking. "The Netherlands was an early adopter of investigating these kinds of criminal practices. There's a wealth of expertise here to detect human trafficking early on."
The extortion of family members in the Netherlands plays a major role. "From Libya, where people are being held and tortured, calls are made to family members in the Netherlands, and they receive videos with truly horrific images of their relative being tortured. Based on this, they are told they have to pay a ransom to have them released."
According to Van Reisen, this is a very important case for Eritreans in the Netherlands. "I think there are few Eritreans in the Netherlands who don't know of victims in Libya."
One of the victims is Selam*, a young woman who fled Eritrea years ago and was also imprisoned in a camp in Libya. She was a victim of torture and rape by Walid D.
"I went through a lot in Libya. And I was also raped by him," she told NOS through an interpreter. "Multiple times, by three different men." Selam is dealing with severe trauma and has trouble sleeping. "The situation is very difficult for me. I get a lot of panic when I have to talk about it."
The case is one of the largest human trafficking trials ever conducted in the Netherlands. The investigation lasted years and was conducted in collaboration with organizations including Interpol, Europol, and the International Criminal Court.
"It's really the first time that any of this story has come before a court. In Eritrea, there's nothing, and in Libya, there's nothing. There's complete impunity. This is the first case that changes that," says Van Reisen.
The Public Prosecution Service wants to take a firm stance against the organization. A spokesperson stated: "These people have endured a difficult journey, filled with violence, rape, and extortion. The fact that there are organizations profiting handsomely from this, not only from the smuggling itself but also from extorting family members, is an inhumane business model that we intend to take decisive action against."
That the case is finally being heard is important. Van Reisen: "A conviction doesn't mean the system has been shut down. That's much bigger than the number of suspects on trial. But this is the beginning of putting an end to impunity."
It doesn't take away Selam's fear and memories. "I don't think this will make it easy for me. They also killed so many people. But I do think it's important: justice and that they get punished."
*For security and privacy reasons, Selam's name has been changed. Her real name is known to the editors.
