People-Smugglers Could Face 35 Years in Prison Over Drowning of Syrian Toddler Aylan Kurdi

Prosecutors in Turkey indicted two men for their role in smuggling Syrian refugees, including the family of Aylan Kurdi, the 3-year-old Syrian toddler whose body washed up on the shore of a Turkish beach resort in September.

A photo of the dead toddler, taken by Turkish photojournalist Nilüfer Demir, appeared in media around the world, becoming a potent reminder of the human cost of the ongoing global refugee crisis.

The two suspects are Syrian, and their names are not being released by authorities. They stand accused of "causing death by deliberate negligence" and "migrant smuggling" in connection with the incident in September when five Syrian refugees including Kurdi died after their boat sank en route to Greece. Survivors say that the boat was overcrowded, flimsy, and that not everyone was given a life jacket.

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If convicted, the two men could face up to 35 years in jail.

The image of Kurdi's body, lying face down on the shore of the Mediterranean resort town of Bodrum, ricocheted around the globe and galvanized public sympathy for the plight of refugees. World leaders from Turkey to Canada spoke about how the tragic image should remind policymakers of their responsibility toward migrants fleeing war and conflict in the Middle East.

In the days after the photo become public, French President François Hollande personally called Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to offer his condolences and to pledge French support for refugees.

"Is there anybody on the planet who could not be moved by what they saw in the papers — anybody with a sense of humanity — who saw the body of a young boy washed up on a beach like driftwood," Hollande said. "This is a human catastrophe."

"What has drowned in the Mediterranean is not only the refugees," Erdogan said after the photo became public. "Humanity has drowned in the Mediterranean Sea."

Across the globe In Australia, Kurdi's death mobilized thousands to hold vigils and pressure the government to eventually allow 12,000 Syrian refugees to resettle there.

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When the boat capsized, Kurdi's brother and mother also drowned. The family had hoped to seek asylum in Canada, where they had relatives, but Kurdi's father Abdullah has since returned to the family's home in Kobani, Syria. In the days following the incident, some of the other passengers who survived accused Abdullah Kurdi of collaborating with the smugglers. Three Iraqi migrants who were passengers on the same boat told Reuters that Kurdi himself was piloting the craft — a charge he has vociferously denied.

Prosecutors in Turkey do not appear to be investigating Abdullah's involvement. But the Turkish Anatolia News Agency reported on Thursday that the investigation into the incident is ongoing. Six other suspects — including four Turks — are being sought by authorities.

Watch the VICE News documentary "Syria: Al-Qaeda's New Home."