Aylan Kurdi: Two Syrians sentenced to four years in prison over death of toddler that shocked the world
Muwafaka Alabash and Asem Alfrhad were convicted of human trafficking but acquitted of the charge of causing the deaths through deliberate negligence
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A Turkish court has sentenced two Syrians to four years in prison over the death of three-year-old refugee Aylan Kurdi, state media reports.
Muwafaka Alabash and Asem Alfrhad were convicted of human trafficking but acquitted of the charge of causing the deaths through deliberate negligence.
They were put on trial charged with causing the deaths of five people, including Aylan, whose body washed up on a beach in Turkey last year.
Aylan was travelling with his father, mother and brother from Bodrum in Turkey to the Greek island of Kos when their boat capsized.
Images of the small boy lying face down on the beach galvanised a huge reaction to the refugee crisis.
Aylan and his family fled the northern Syrian town of Kobani, which was periodically besieged by Isis militants throughout 2014 and 2015.
After living in Turkey with the hope of returning to their hometown, the family made two failed attempts to travel through Europe to Canada, where Aylan's aunt lived in Vancouver.
The crossing, which killed all of the family except Aylan's father, Abdullah Kurdi, was their third attempt.
Mr Kurdi said the family paid a combined €4,000 (£2,900) to people smugglers for places on a small dinghy.
The family began crossing at night, but when the sea became too rough for the vessel, the people smuggler's allegedly abandoned it, leaving the passengers to try and steer it on their own.
The boat soon capsized, throwing the refugees into the sea.
When the images of Aylan began circulating on social media on 2 September last year, The Independent took the editorial decision to publish the pictures in full.
The campaign which followed helped force the Government to do more to help Syrian refugees. Five days later, David Cameron announced 20,000 more places would be found.
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