Updated

Updated · BBC.com · Jun 9

Libyan Militia Kidnapped 300 Iraqi Kurds, Demanding $5,000 Ransoms and Threatening Kidney Removal

Updated

Updated · BBC.com · Jun 9

Libyan Militia Kidnapped 300 Iraqi Kurds, Demanding $5,000 Ransoms and Threatening Kidney Removal

Q: Were migrants' organs harvested to pay their ransom in Libya's lawless camps?

There is credible evidence that migrants in Libya were threatened with organ removal, but no definitive public proof yet that organs were actually harvested as ransom payment. The BBC investigation found that more than 300 Iraqi Kurdish migrants were kidnapped by a Libyan militia in 2025 after a payment dispute with smugglers. Families were told to pay $5,000 per person and were sent photos and videos showing beatings and explicit threats that captives’ kidneys would be taken if money did not arrive. Survivors described extreme overcrowding, torture and at least one death in captivity. The strongest evidence pointing toward possible organ removal comes from repatriated hostages. Some returned with scars that a UK consultant said were consistent with kidney-operation incisions. Kurdish officials also said they suspect some captives may have “paid” with internal organs, and at least one family believes a relative died after such a procedure. But the key point is that this has not been independently verified. The BBC said it could not confirm that organs were removed, and broader UN and human-rights reporting on Libya documents rampant kidnapping, torture, extortion and deaths in migrant detention sites without establishing organ harvesting in this case. So the answer is: the threat was real, the suspicion is serious, and the circumstantial evidence is troubling, but as of now the claim that migrants’ organs were harvested to settle ransom demands remains unproven.

2 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Jun 9

More than 300 Iraqi Kurdish migrants bound for the UK were seized in Libya in summer 2025, with captors demanding $5,000 from each family and threatening to take a kidney if payment was delayed.
The militia had been expected to move the men toward the Mediterranean coast, but turned on them after a payment dispute with smuggler Noah Aaron, who is now serving a 10-year sentence in France for separate smuggling and money-laundering crimes.
At least 110 hostages were flown back to Iraq in January, but former captives described torture, six months in overcrowded cells and beatings; at least one hostage is known to have died.
Photo evidence reviewed by the BBC showed scars a UK consultant said were consistent with kidney-operation incisions, though forced organ removal could not be independently verified.
Libya's weak state control and militia-dominated smuggling routes have long enabled ransom kidnappings, and Kurdish officials say the flow of migrants to Europe continues despite the latest abuse allegations.

Sources

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BBC.com2h ago

Iraqi Kurdish Migrants Kidnapped in Libya, Threatened with Organ Removal for Ransom

BBC.com2h ago

Pay ransom or lose a kidney': Illegal migrants bound for UK kidnapped in Libya

Were migrants' organs harvested to pay their ransom in Libya's lawless camps?

With one smuggler arrested, can the powerful network controlling UK migration be stopped?

Why do tales of torture and death fail to deter migrants from the perilous journey to Europe?

Over 300 Kurdish Migrants Kidnapped in Libya (2025): Humanitarian Crisis, Organ Trafficking, and Global Repatriation Efforts

Overview

In the summer of 2025, over 300 Iraqi Kurdish migrants were abducted in Libya, highlighting the dangers faced by those seeking a better life in Europe. Libya, a key transit point for migrants fleeing conflict and hardship across Africa and the Middle East, saw a surge in arrivals, with nearly 867,055 people from 44 nationalities residing there by early 2025. Many migrants risked sea journeys to Europe, but faced inhumane conditions, including threats like forced organ removal. This crisis exposed the severe vulnerabilities and human impact of migration through Libya, emphasizing the urgent need for protection and international action.

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