Human traffickers get jail for death of Syrian child found on beach
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 5 March 2016 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Human traffickers get jail for death of Syrian child found on beach, 5 March 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/570cdfb09.html [accessed 21 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
March 05, 2016
A Turkish court sentenced two Syrian smugglers to four years and two months in prison over the death of 3-year-old Aylan Kurdi, whose lifeless body on a beach focused world attention on the refugee crisis.
The court in Bodrum convicted the two of human trafficking but acquitted them of the charge of causing the drowning death of Aylan and four others through deliberate negligence, authorities said.
A photo of the Syrian boy's body, face down on a Turkish beach, riveted attention by illustrating the migrants' severe suffering, though hundreds of others have faced similar fates.
Aylan's brother, Galip, and mother, Rihan, were also among the five victims who drowned when their boat went down as they attempted to cross the Aegean Sea from Bodrum to the Greek island of Kos last September.
Trials in Turkey usually take months, even years, to conclude. The quick verdict appeared to be an effort by Ankara to show that it is cracking down on human traffickers just before a summit between Turkey and the European Union to discuss the migrant crisis on March 7.
Based on reporting by AP and AFP
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
