Name: Dutch court hears case against Eritrean human trafficker
Uploaded: 2025-11-21T10:30:03.851Z
Duration: 50 s
Description: Amanuel Walid, known as Tewelde Goitom, is accused of running a migration route to Europe via Libya.

Amanuel Walid, known as Tewelde Goitom, is accused of running a migration route to Europe via Libya.

The Hague

A district court in Zwolle, Netherlands, is hearing the case against Emmanuel Walid, also known as Tewel De Goitem, an Eritrean national accused of leading a major human trafficking operation. Prosecutors allege that Goitem and his organization detained thousands of African migrants in warehouses in Libya, subjecting them to torture and extortion to extract ransoms from their families.

Witnesses reported that victims endured severe beatings, sexual violence, and inhumane conditions, with several fatalities. Goitem, who was extradited to the Netherlands in 2022, denied the charges, claiming mistaken identity and invoking his right to remain silent. The case is described as the largest human trafficking prosecution in Dutch history.

Dutch court hears case against Eritrean human trafficker

Prosecutors in the Netherlands are seeking a 20-year prison sentence for an Eritrean trafficking suspect. 42-year-old Emmanuel Walid, known as Tewel De Goitem, is accused of running a migration route to Europe via Libya, along with his organisation. They say his group detained thousands of African migrants in warehouses in Libya and brutally tortured them to extort ransoms from their families. Witnesses say victims were detained in horrific conditions and subject to constant beatings and sexual violence, with numerous people said to have died. At the district court in Zwolle, Goitem, who was extradited to the Netherlands in 2022, only spoke to tell the judges they have the wrong man and to invoke his right to remain silent. The trial is the largest human trafficking case ever in the Netherlands.

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