Two on trial in Turkey over death of toddler Alan Kurdi

Two alleged people-smugglers have gone on trial in Turkey accused of causing the death of three-year-old Syrian migrant boy Alan Kurdi and four other people.

The image of the boy – his lifeless body lying face down on a beach in Bodrum – galvanised world attention towards the refugee crisis, illustrating the magnitude of the suffering and the treacherous journeys migrants risk.

The trial against Syrian nationals Muwafaka Alabash and Asem Alfrhad opened in the Aegean resort of Bodrum. The two face up to 35 years in prison if convicted of human-smuggling and causing the deaths of five people “through deliberate negligence”.

Alan’s brother and mother also drowned on the journey from Bodrum to the Greek island of Kos.

PA