Two Human Smugglers Are Going to Prison Over Drowned Syrian Toddler Alan Kurdi

A Turkish court has sentenced two men to four years in prison on Friday for human smuggling, following the deaths of Syrian toddler Alan Kurdi, and four other migrants, who drowned last September during a perilous journey by rubber dinghy from Bodrum to the Greek Islands.

A photograph taken of three-year-old Alan Kurdi's lifeless body washed up on a Turkish beach went viral and became emblematic of the worldwide refugee crisis that has, for years, seen war and conflict force millions of people away from their homes in search of safety and a better life.

The two smugglers, both Syrian nationals, were found guilty of human smuggling, but acquitted of their original charge of causing the deaths through deliberate negligence. The pair had their sentences lowered due to good behavior. Both pleaded not guilty to the charges and reportedly intend to appeal their convictions.

Kurdi's brother and mother also drowned that day, but his father, Abdullah survived. Abdullah has said he and his family tried to cross the Mediterranean after his brother Mohammed's refugee application to Canada was rejected. They had been trying to join their sister Tima, who lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, and was trying to bring her whole family over to live with her.

Related: 'Light at the End of the Tunnel': Alan Kurdi's Family Has Arrived in Canada

The Canadian government approved a re-submitted application, allowing Mohammed and his family to be reunited with Tima in December as part of the 25,000 Syrian refugees recently resettled in Canada by the new Liberal government. Abdullah decided not to apply for refugee status in Canada and currently lives in Iraq.

The smugglers' trial moved uncharacteristically quickly in a country where court cases can take months or years to conclude. Turkey has been under intense pressure to crack down on the scourge of human smuggling rings operating there.

According to the International Organization for Migration, more than 120,000 people have made the journey from Turkey to Greece, and at least 360 people have died along the way.

This week, the European Union announced it would allocate 700 million euros in emergency funding for Greece and other countries coping with the refugee crisis.

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