Kidnapped Migrants Face Kidney Threat in Libya

Sat Jun 13 2026 11:35:28 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

A shocking story of 300 Iraqi Kurdish boys captured in Libya, having to pay a ransom or risk organ theft.

In the summer of 2025, more than 300 young men from Iraqi Kurdistan targeted for migration to the UK were kidnapped in Libya by a militia demanding a $5,000 ransom per person. Threats of organ removal, including kidney harvesting, loomed if families failed to pay quickly. Survivors describe cramped cells, food rationing, and torture tactics such as burning limbs. At least one hostage has died; the exact number of imprisoned men remains unknown. While some families paid the ransom or were liberated, the brutality of this smuggling network serves as a grim warning on the perilous journey to Europe.

Kidnapped Migrants Face Kidney Threat in Libya

In summer 2025, a militia in Libya abducted over 300 Iraqi‑Kurdish youths heading to the UK. The gang demanded a $5,000 (£3,700) ransom for every captive, threatening the families that they would strip a kidney if payment was not made quickly.

Who Is at Risk?

All 300 young men were originally waylaid in Libya by the militia after a dispute with the Iraq‑Kurdish smuggler Noah Aaron.

Families were told the ransom would be paid to Aaron, but the militia seized control and demanded the money directly from them.

Organ removal images, allegedly showing a kidney incision, have circulated, though investigators cannot confirm a transplant took place.

At least one victim has died; the exact number of captives left alive is unclear.

Libyas political vacuum and rival militia dominance have made such kidnappings incredibly hard to prosecute.

Life Inside the Cell

Hostages reported sleeping in chairs, sharing one shared toilet, and receiving only a single loaf of bread each day if they paid extra. A 16‑year‑old recalled living in a cell with 178 other boys for six months, without seeing the sun.

A survivor showed a scar on his leg following a burn torturing session, and another shared a raw scratch on a kidney incision site.

What’s Next?

The BBC interview highlighted a warning from the Kurdish Ministry of the Interior urging families to share these stories to deter future migrants. Meanwhile, a 10‑year prison sentence for smuggler Noah Aaron in France was confirmed, but the organ‑theft menace continues for those still trapped or still traveling.