The third substantive hearing in the Pearce investigation case commenced on November 5, 2025, at the Court of Zwolle. The suspect was present and represented by counsel, with an interpreter also in attendance. The victims’ lawyers were also present.

This session focused on four charges against the suspect: two counts of human smuggling (each comprising multiple counts), extortion, and leadership in a criminal organization.

Before the evidentiary discussion began, the victims’ lawyers raised a procedural matter. Another victim requested to join the proceedings to seek reparations (“voeging als benadeelde partij”), and no objections were raised.

The Court examined two separate arrivals of migrants in Italy, focusing first on 24 April 2018.

Facts 5 and 6: human smuggling and extortion
A Rescue Report described ‘Sea Watch 3’ rescuing approximately 95 people from an overcrowded blue rubber boat. The boat was approximately 10–12 meters long and carried no life jackets. No deaths occurred; most people were in generally good condition, though many suffered from scabies, and three were hospitalized. Most were Eritrean and had departed from the Libyan coast. Survivors reported that the group ran into trouble after about an hour at sea. Another boat returned to Libya, while this one continued, spending roughly seventeen hours at sea. Some survivors immediately reported being detained in Libya, mentioning random payments and naming smugglers involved, including Walid.

The presiding judge then reviewed witness testimonies from survivors.

A young female witness, aged eighteen, described being kidnapped in Libya and held for about a year in the town of Bani Walid under the control of smugglers Walid and Kidane. She recounted extreme abuse: starvation, constant beatings, and the rape of women by Walid’s men. Although she herself was not raped, she was severely beaten after resisting an assault. Conditions were filthy and overcrowded, with no medical care; many detainees died from torture, hunger, or accidents. Walid had four assistants who constantly beat detainees and forced them to call their families to demand ransom. Prisoners were woken at night to make phone calls and were beaten throughout the day. One Eritrean died, and many more Somalis were tortured with electric wires and killed, often due to starvation and mistreatment. Most had to pay ransom multiple times. After her family paid USD 3,000, she was forced onto an overcrowded rubber boat with 98 people for an overnight journey before being rescued by Sea Watch.

The prosecutor noted that even repeated payments did not guarantee release—Walid decided who could leave at his discretion. If Walid disliked someone, payment made no difference.

Nine additional witnesses described similar captivity in Bani Walid, detailing systematic violence, extortion, and inhumane conditions under Walid’s control.

Witness “D” described being detained for six months in a warehouse holding approximately 1,700 people. Detainees were locked in with minimal food and deprived of hygiene, beaten daily. He was forced to call his family to pay a ransom of USD 5,500, and bore scars from beatings with wooden sticks. Those unable to pay were tortured or forced to work as guards, beating others on Walid’s orders.

Witness 78 confirmed that Walid reportedly told them that he had ‘paid for them’ and that they now had to reimburse him USD 3,500 for “food and water.”  Meals were extremely scarce, with a single plate shared among eight people. Walid controlled the “kapos” (guards) who carried out his orders, though a higher-ranking man named Mussa appeared to be in overall command. When Mussa was present, the beatings stopped; otherwise, Walid’s men frequently whipped detainees with hoses. Many prisoners died from disease or mistreatment.

Witness S described pregnant women being beaten, doused with cold water, and starved if they could not pay. Attempted escapees were publicly beaten, often in Walid’s presence. Even after ransom payments, she remained detained for four more months before being sent to sea while ill.

The Prosecutor paused to question Walid. During an earlier statement to law enforcement, Walid had claimed that the photos identifying him were circulated by others attempting to discredit him. When asked about this in court, Walid invoked his right to remain silent. 

Fact 7: human smuggling
The Court considered another arrival in Italy under charge 7, focusing on witness testimonies in the absence of a Rescue Report. Witnesses described a different facility near the Libyan coast where migrants were held after leaving Bani Walid, before a perilous sea crossing.

Walid was consistently identified as the central figure controlling the smuggling and detention of large groups, often directly or indirectly inflicting violence with a pistol or wooden stick. People were held in overcrowded, unsafe warehouses before being forced on poorly equipped boats without sufficient food, water, sanitation, or life jackets. Payments were demanded under duress, and subordinates carried out much of the abuse. Several witnesses reported illness or death among migrants without medical care, and some women were allegedly targeted for sexual abuse. Walid exercised strict control over who could proceed on the journey, creating fear and chaos among the people, and was recognized as the person in ultimate authority. Overall, he is portrayed as ruthless, inhumane, and responsible for extreme suffering.

One witness described the guards of the facility (Eritreans and Libyans) beating detainees for making any noise, as well as extremely limited food and water, and showers only once every two weeks. Her spouse detailed transport from the hall to a wooden boat with a one-meter-wide hole, overcrowded with about 400 people, fumes, vomiting, and minimal provisions. The boat’s motor failed, and the towing vessel detached, causing panic and danger.

Her spouse described how migrants were transported from the large, overcrowded hall onto a small wooden boat with a one-meter-wide hole. The men were beaten to make them enter the hole. Conditions were extremely harsh: overcrowding, gasoline fumes, vomiting, minimal food and water, limited sanitation, and no life jackets. During the crossing, the boat’s motor failed, and the towing vessel detached, triggering panic and chaos as people struggled to maintain their balance. The person steering abandoned the vessel by swimming to the other ship, leaving the passengers in a perilous situation.

The defense noted that witnesses indicated Walid may not have overseen the sea crossing itself, as he was absent once the group left the hall.

Fact 1: leadership of a criminal organization
The final charge discussed was Walid’s alleged leadership role in a criminal organization. The judge noted that most relevant materials had been reviewed in the witness testimonies discussed earlier.  Additionally, several digital messages would be relevant for this charge.

There was discussion about whether to review the evidence overview; it was decided to discuss it but not go through individual witness statements. Facebook messages and other documents were highlighted by the prosecutor as remaining evidence, showing coordination between Walid and Kidane, including the number of people transported, price agreements, payments, names, and instructions for handling migrants. For example, the account that the investigative team had linked to Kidane wrote to Walid: “If Achmed asks you, say that we let 180 people leave,” and “How large is the group that [name] was with? For those with [name], I charged 250 dollars instead of 300. 

The hearing concluded with two procedural matters and the scheduling of further hearings. Mr. Vossenbergh (the victims’ representative) was asked if they wanted to provide further submissions on November 17, either in whole or in response to specific questions. It was left to their discretion.

The schedule going forward was outlined as follows

1. Tuesday, November 11: no session needed
2. Monday, November 17: continuation of victims’ claims and speaking rights in the morning, followed by the personal circumstances of the suspect in the afternoon.
3. Tuesday, November 18: reserved day, possibly canceled; if Kidane is extradited to the Netherlands, he may be required to testify. Details will be finalized later.

On 4 November 2025, the District Court of Zwolle held the second hearing in the Pearce case, in which an Eritrean man known as ‘Walid’ stands trial for alleged involvement in large-scale human smuggling from Libya to Europe, as well as related offences including extortion, assault, and sexual violence.

During this session, the Court discussed approximately twenty witness statements relating to several of the charges under consideration. The statements, taken from victims and witnesses, described their experiences while held in captivity in Libya. Many accounts referred not only to Walid but also to Kidane.

Witnesses gave consistent descriptions of violence, coercion, and exploitation. Several recurring elements emerged from the testimonies:

• Physical abuse: Witnesses reported being beaten with hoses by so-called kapos (assistants working under Walid’s supervision). Some stated that Walid was present and sometimes personally participated in the beatings.
• Extortion through violence: Victims described being forced to call family members daily while being beaten, in order to pressure relatives to send ransom money. Those who had not yet paid reportedly faced harsher treatment, including being doused with hot or cold water and beaten while rolling on the ground.
• Ransom payments: Many witnesses said they had to pay twice – first to arrange their journey to Europe and again after being detained in Libya. The reported amounts ranged between USD 1,500 and 6,000.
• Sexual violence: Several witnesses spoke about girls being taken away and later returning, often in silence. Although many survivors did not discuss sexual violence openly, witnesses said it was widely known that some women and girls were forced to have sex with Walid. According to testimony, some became pregnant; many mothers and infants did not survive childbirth due to the conditions in the camp.
• Living conditions: Witnesses described overcrowded warehouses holding around 1,000 people, with poor hygiene, fleas, vermin, and no access to medical care. Food consisted of a small portion of plain pasta shared between groups of eight, served once or twice a day.
• Departure to Europe: After making the payments, migrants were transported by car or truck to a house and later to the coast, where boats were waiting. According to the testimonies, the vessels were initially operated by Libyan or Arab men, who would transfer to another boat mid-sea, leaving the migrants adrift without an engine.
• Comparison with Kidane: Witnesses who had experienced both detention sites described the conditions under Walid as particularly severe, with less food and more frequent violence.

In addition to oral testimony, the Court reviewed supporting evidence, including Facebook messages and recorded phone calls. Witnesses were also shown photographs of Walid and Kidane, which they used to confirm the men’s identities.

The next hearing is scheduled for 5 November, when the Court will continue examining factual elements related to the charges of human smuggling and violence.

On 3 November 2025, the trial of the man known as Walid opened before the Court of Zwolle. The case forms part of the broader Pearce investigation, launched by the Dutch authorities in 2017 to address large-scale migrant smuggling and extortion on the Central Mediterranean route between Libya and Italy. The charges include human smuggling, extortion, and participation in a criminal organisation. Allegations of money laundering were also filed but challenged on procedural grounds.

The prosecution argues that between 2015 and 2018, the accused collaborated with the smuggler known as Kidane in detaining and extorting migrants before their dangerous sea crossings. The defence maintains that the Dutch courts lack jurisdiction and that the accused has already been convicted for similar conduct in Ethiopia.

Identity of the Accused
At the outset of the hearing, the accused declared that he is not the person known as Walid. The judges noted that the case file contains multiple aliases, as well as photographs and documents suggesting otherwise. Several survivors have identified the accused as Walid, while forensic photo comparisons conducted in 2022 concluded that the person appearing in various images, including an Ethiopian police photograph, is most probably the same individual. The accused refused to answer further questions, stating that his lawyers would speak on his behalf.

Preliminary Motions by the Defence
Before the prosecution presented its case, the defence submitted several preliminary objections, asking the court to declare the Public Prosecution Service inadmissible:

• Ne bis in idem: the accused was convicted in Ethiopia in April 2023 for related smuggling and trafficking acts; the defence argues that the Dutch case concerns the same period and conduct.
  
• Violation of the speciality principle: the Ethiopian extradition order did not authorise prosecution for money-laundering offences.
  
• Lack of Dutch jurisdiction: the alleged crimes occurred primarily in Libya and Italy, with no sufficient connection to the Netherlands.
  
• Partial nullity of the summons: certain charges were said to be too vague for the accused to understand the specific allegations.

Prosecution’s Response
The Public Prosecutor rejected these arguments, emphasising that:

• The Ethiopian conviction concerns different victims and therefore does not bar this prosecution.
  
• The speciality principle limits sentence execution, not the ability to prosecute.
  
• The Netherlands has territorial jurisdiction because several victims now reside in the country and parts of the criminal operation—such as financial transactions and communications—took place from or through Dutch territory.
  

Court’s Interim Decisions
After deliberation, the judges delivered interlocutory rulings:

• The money-laundering and hawala charges are inadmissible at this stage due to extradition limitations.
  
• The ne bis in idem objection is rejected, as the Dutch proceedings involve different victims.
  
• The defence’s request to end the case for lack of jurisdiction is also rejected, since the court considers that sufficient links to the Netherlands may exist and should be examined at trial.
  
• Some counts were found insufficiently clear, and the court will clarify these in writing, but this does not prevent the case from proceeding.

Presentation of the Case
Following the rulings, the judges began outlining the extensive case file, consisting of more than 25,000 pages. The investigation includes statements from several survivors who travelled via Bani Walid, describing detention, violence, and extortion under the control of One survivor, a 15-year-old girl at the time, described spending months in a warehouse in Bani Walid, which she said was under Walid’s control. Detainees were beaten and threatened until their families paid for their release, around 3,800 dollars. Guards, referred to as kapos, enforced Walid’s orders, and food and water were scarce. She recalled that some people died of illness and that young women were taken away and never returned. When her family’s payment was confirmed, she and others were transported to the coast, placed on an overcrowded rubber boat, and later rescued near Messina, Sicily.

A second witness stated that she was detained in the same compound, where several smugglers – including Moussa, Kidane, and Walid – operated side by side. She described Walid as violent and arrogant, often ordering his men to beat people or pour cold water over them. Although pregnant at the time, she witnessed other detainees being mistreated and starved.

A third witness confirmed that Walid and Kidane each managed their own warehouses but cooperated in arranging departures. She testified that Walid selected young women and raped them, and that some became pregnant as a result. From her room she could hear screams and the sounds of beatings. When asked about hierarchy, she explained: “Walid and Kidane were equal, sometimes they filled the boats together.”

The prosecution also referred to social-media messages sent in February 2018, in which a user thanked “Walid” for “the arrival of the boat in Messina,” as well as photographs and diagrams linking testimonies to specific warehouses in Bani Walid.

These accounts form the basis of Offence 8, one of the key smuggling and extortion counts in the indictment, illustrating the systematic abuse and financial exploitation of migrants attempting to reach Europe through Libya.

Next Steps
The hearing closed with the accused maintaining his silence and denying any involvement. The court will reconvene on 4–5 November 2025 at 09:30 for continuation of the trial, during which further evidence and witness statements will be examined.

A final verdict is expected in January 2026.