28/1/2026

A Dutch court on Tuesday sentenced an Eritrean human trafficker to 20 years in prison after convicting him of running a migrant smuggling network in Libya and subjecting migrants to serious abuses in order to extort money from their families.

According to Reuters, the 42-year-old defendant, known as Amanuel Walid, also referred to as Tewelde Goitom, led a criminal organisation involved in smuggling African migrants through Libyan territory toward Europe. He was convicted on charges including human trafficking, membership in a criminal organisation, and extortion.

Prosecutors said the investigation focused on the period between 2014 and 2019, during which thousands of migrants were detained at various locations inside Libya and subjected to harsh treatment to force their families to pay ransom for their release.

During the sentencing hearing, the judge said that “the defendant and his accomplices acted ruthlessly and without any regard for human dignity, exploiting the situation of vulnerable people who were seeking a better life.”