Dutch Court Opens Trial of Eritrean Man Accused of Leading Brutal Human Smuggling Ring

A Dutch court has begun the trial of Tewelde Goitom, an Eritrean man accused of running a brutal migrant smuggling network that trafficked East African migrants to Europe under horrific conditions.

Prosecutors allege that Goitom, also known as Amanuel Walid, extorted large sums of money from migrants’ relatives to secure their release from detention camps in Libya.

Goitom, extradited from Ethiopia in 2022 where he was convicted of similar crimes, denies the charges and insists he is a victim of mistaken identity. The case is among the largest human smuggling trials ever held in the Netherlands and is expected to run for three weeks.

Prosecutors argue the Netherlands has jurisdiction because parts of the criminal operation, including extortion payments, were linked to Dutch territory. The defence disputes this, claiming payments were made in Eritrea or via the UAE.

The trial is connected to that of another fugitive trafficker, Kidane Zekarias Habtemariam, described as one of the world’s most wanted smugglers, who is now detained in the UAE pending extradition to the Netherlands.

Human rights groups say the case reflects the desperation driving young Eritreans to flee the country’s repressive regime, where forced labour, torture, and indefinite national service remain widespread under President Isaias Afwerki, in power since independence in 1993.