Netherlands Opens Major Trial Of Alleged Eritrean Smuggling Boss Tied To Libya–EU Route

Dutch prosecutors opened a three‑week trial in Zwolle for Eritrean national Tewelde Goitom, accused of running a Libya‑based smuggling network that extorted families to free migrants from camps before Mediterranean crossings. Goitom denies the charges as mistaken identity after extradition from Ethiopia. Prosecutors aim to join the case with alleged trafficker Kidane Zekarias Habtemariam, now held in the UAE, while the defense challenges Dutch jurisdiction. The case is among the Netherlands’ largest smuggling prosecutions and links to enforcement efforts targeting the central Mediterranean route.