A Dutch court on Tuesday sentenced Eritrean people trafficker Amanuel Walid to 20 years in prison for running a violent migrant smuggling network that tortured African refugees and migrants in detention camps in Libya, calling his crimes a blatant assault on human dignity.
The ruling marks the largest human trafficking conviction ever prosecuted in the Netherlands, underscoring Europe’s growing willingness to pursue cross-border crimes committed against migrants en route to the continent.
Walid, 42, also known as Tewelde Goitom, was convicted of membership in a criminal organization, human trafficking, and extortion, according to the court. Judges said he played a central role in managing a migration route through Libya used by thousands seeking to reach Europe.
Prosecutors said Walid’s group detained migrants in warehouses between 2014 and 2019, subjecting them to severe abuse while forcing victims to contact relatives and demand ransom payments.
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“You and your co-perpetrators treated migrants in a ruthless and merciless manner, with no regard for human dignity,” presiding judge Rene Melaard said while delivering the verdict. The abuse, he added, was carried out solely to extract as much money as possible from “vulnerable and helpless people seeking a better future.”
Walid was extradited to the Netherlands in 2022 and largely refused to testify during the trial. He spoke only to claim mistaken identity and to invoke his right to remain silent.
Judges ruled on Tuesday that prosecutors had conclusively proven the man in court was Walid, dismissing his defense arguments.
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Dutch authorities said the investigation relied heavily on survivor testimony, intercepted communications, and financial evidence linking Walid to the trafficking network.
The case is among the few in Europe to directly prosecute criminal networks operating along Libya’s migrant routes, which have been linked by the United Nations and human rights groups to widespread abuses, including torture, sexual violence, and forced labor.
Libya has become a major transit point for migrants since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that toppled Muammar Gaddafi, leaving the country fractured and without unified control. Smuggling networks have since flourished amid the instability, particularly along routes toward the Mediterranean.
Dutch courts were able to hear the case under the principle of universal jurisdiction, which allows prosecution of foreign nationals for serious crimes committed abroad when victims later reside in the Netherlands.
Legal experts say the verdict could set a precedent for future prosecutions involving transnational human trafficking and crimes against migrants.