Ankara: Turkish court sentenced three human traffickers to 125 years in prison over drowning of a Syrian toddler, Aylan Kurdi.
As per the media report, last week, the Turkish security force arrested the traffickers.
Refugee plight
It may be recalled that the death of the three-year-old boy whose body washed up on a beach in Turkey in September 2015 had brought the plight of the refugees to the forefront, leading to an international outcry. The UN Human Rights Council had launched a social media campaign ‘#WithRefugees’ after the little boy’s picture shocked the world.
GRAPHIC CONTENT A migrant child’s dead body (Aylan Shenu) lies on the shores in Bodrum, southern Turkey, on September 2, 2015 after a boat carrying refugees sank while reaching the Greek island of Kos. Thousands of refugees and migrants arrived in Athens on September 2, as Greek ministers held talks on the crisis, with Europe struggling to cope with the huge influx fleeing war and repression in the Middle East and Africa. AFP PHOTO / Nilufer Demir / DOGAN NEWS AGENCY = TURKEY OUT = (Photo by Nilufer Demir / DOGAN NEWS AGENCY / AFP) GRAPHIC CONTENT A Turkish police officer carries a migrant child’s dead body (Aylan Shenu) off the shores in Bodrum, southern Turkey, on September 2, 2015 after a boat carrying refugees sank while reaching the Greek island of Kos. Thousands of refugees and migrants arrived in Athens on September 2, as Greek ministers held talks on the crisis, with Europe struggling to cope with the huge influx fleeing war and repression in the Middle East and Africa. (Photo by Nilufer Demir / DOGAN NEWS AGENCY / AFP)
In one of the photographs that went viral on social media, the boy can be seen lying face-down in the surf on the beach. In another photo, a policeman was seen carrying the body of the boy.
Tragedy
In the tragedy, the toddler’s mother, five-year-old brother also lost their lives. The mishap took place when the family was trying to reach relatives in Vancouver, Canada.