SITUATION REPORT SPECIAL – WALID HEARINGS
No. 681 – 19 November 2025
Substantive hearings begin in Zwolle, The Netherlands, in November in the case against Eritrean national Tewelde Goitom, also known as ‘Walid’. The prosecution alleges that Walid led an international criminal network that detained, tortured, raped and extorted mainly Eritrean refugees in Libya, holding many in detention sites such as Bani Walid until families paid ransoms. The 191 witnesses that testified for the case all had ties to The Netherlands, where many ransom payments were made, but the same happened in other countries. The scale of the abuses, and their reach into diaspora communities, place this trial at the intersection of organized crime and transnational repression. Survivors are afraid to speak out, as the long arm of the Eritrean regime closely controls what Eritreans in the diaspora are allowed to say and do. This control is exerted in part through interpreters.
In this week’s News Highlights: Peace talks resume in Jeddah – Burhan relieves Hemedti from Deputy position; Humanitarian situation continues to worsen in Sudan; Two humanitarian aid plans for Sudan and refugees to launch; 936 thousand displaced as Sudan conflict continues; Kidnappings of Tigray refugees, trafficking to Libya; Border between Kenya and Somalia to reopen; Floods impact Ethiopia and Somalia; OLF and OLA accuse government of offensive, despite negotiation process; Isaias travels to China for talks; NGOs call for extension of SR mandate and ‘substantive’ assessment in Eritrea; Italy commends Tunisia for efforts on stopping migration; Frontex reports record number of border crossings in Central Mediterranean; Sunak talks with ECHR’s President over UK deportation plan; Greek police rescues a group of 17 migrants and refugees; Concerns over unsanitary conditions in asylum seeker centres in Germany; EU-Montenegro deal to provide Frontex border guards; ECHR ruling on Hungary pushbacks; and South Africa accused of supplying arms to Russia.