On 18 May 2026, an Eritrean national known as ‘Kidane’ is appearing for the second time in a hearing before a Dutch court in Zwolle, the Netherlands, where he faces charges of smuggling, extortion, and rape. The proceedings are part of the so-called ‘Pearce’ case, an investigation by Dutch authorities into a criminal organisation operating in Libya to traffic migrants to Europe. On 27 January 2026, Kidane’s associate, known as ‘Walid’, was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment.  

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Ongoing proceedings against Kidane continue the Dutch authorities’ proactive efforts to address crimes committed against migrants and refugees in Libya. However, like for Walid, the charges brought against Kidane remain too narrow to capture the scale and systematic nature of these crimes. They also fail to provide justice for a broader set of potential victims. In an effort to prompt further investigations into additional charges reflecting the full gravity of the crimes allegedly committed by Walid and Kidane, in 2025 LFJL submitted a criminal complaint to the Dutch international crimes unit. The complaint details conduct that may amount to human trafficking, slave trading, and crimes against humanity. A redacted version of the complaint is now available here, providing crucial context to understand the scale and nature of the violations experienced by their victims.  

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Why crimes against humanity

LFJL’s complaint pieces together Walid and Kidane’s operations in the trafficking hub of Bani Walid and details the crimes allegedly faced by migrants the unofficial detention centre they ran. It also highlights the scale of their operations, conducted within Libya’s migrants’ exploitation industry – a context often overlooked by court proceedings and their media coverage.  

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Since 2011, the collapse of the rule of law in Libya has enabled a flourishing industry of migrant trafficking and exploitation. Eritrean trafficking networks like Welid and Kidane’s are key players on the routes from the Horn of Africa. Libyan authorities and affiliated militias, with the support of the European Union (EU) and some of its member states, have colluded in thissystem by systematically detaining migrants to generate profit and access state power.  

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Against this backdrop, Walid and Kidane’s alleged actions- imprisoning migrants arbitrarily, torturing them, subjecting them to conditions of slavery, as well as raping and sexually exploiting migrant women - emerge as part of a widespread, coordinated criminal pattern. As such, the complaint shows that these acts amount to crimes against humanity, as well as human trafficking and slave trading. As these charges have so far been ignored in the Pearce case, the complaint asked the international crimes unit of the Dutch Public Prosecution Service to open an investigation into them. Crucially, these charges could afford more victims legal protection, while reflecting the gravity and the widespread and systematic nature of the crimes they suffered.  

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Charges brought against Walid and, currently, Kidane focus on human smuggling: the act of helping a person cross a border irregularly, with that person’s consent. Human smuggling thus centres on the protection of European borders, without reflecting the full scale of brutal violations experienced by migrants in Libya, trapped in a cycle of violence and exploitation in which there is no space for consent.  

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Why the Netherlands

Walid and Kidane frequently detained migrants until their families paid ransom. Some families were in the Netherlands when they were extorted, and some of the migrants ultimately joined them. The Dutch Prosecution therefore argued that the Netherlands have jurisdiction over Walid’s and Kidane’s actions in Libya because the criminal conduct partially occurred and had consequences on Dutch soil. Through unprecedented efforts, they obtained Walid’s extradition from Ethiopia and Kidane’s from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In Walid’s case, the District Court of Zwolle confirmed jurisdiction and convicted him for leading a criminal organisation, human smuggling, extortion, and violent and sexual crimes.  

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Walid and Kidane’s presence in the Netherlands, however, presented authorities with a rare opportunity to advance justice and accountability further.  Under the Dutch International Crimes Act (ICA), Dutch authorities can prosecute certain international crimes, such as crimes against humanity, regardless of where the crimes were committed, if the suspect is on Dutch soil. While legal uncertainties remain on the scope of jurisdiction under the ICA in cases in which the suspect’s presence follows their extradition, LFJL’s complaint urged authorities to test the scope of the law and to signal that they believe that crimes against migrants in Libya amount to crimes against humanity.  

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Towards justice for crimes against migrants in Libya

Walid’s conviction and Kidane’s ongoing proceedings are rare and important steps towards justice. More must be done. While Dutch authorities have, so far, overlooked crimes against humanity in the Pearce investigation, LFJL continues to work towards justice and accountability for crimes against migrants in Libya. The complaint is part of our broader efforts, including our recent documentary film ‘Escaping Libya’s Detention Industry’ co-produced with Forensis, as well as advocacy and litigation before the UN mechanisms and the International Criminal Court. Through these initiatives, LFJL continues to bring justice a little closer to survivors and to expose the structures that fuel systemic violence against migrants in Libya.  

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