The trial has begun in Erbil of an alleged Iraqi-Kurdish people smuggler accused of involvement in the 2021 English Channel disaster, in a case linked to investigations and prosecutions in France and the UK.
Bashdar, whose real name is Hajar Mina Abdullah, is accused of playing a role in the smuggling operation behind the November 2021 crossing, during which 31 people died attempting to reach Britain from France.
He was led into the courtroom in handcuffs by police officers and seated at a stand on the right-hand side. Wearing a beige shirt and a yellow vest marked “Erbil Police” on the back, he appeared well groomed and walked confidently.
“Why have they fattened him up like that?” one woman sitting with the families at the back of the courtroom asked as he entered. Another woman, dressed in a black veil and black dress, began to cry at the sight of him.
The case in Iraq follows proceedings in France against 14 men accused of involvement in organising the fatal crossing. A Paris court convicted 13 defendants in September, handing down sentences for offences including manslaughter and migrant smuggling.
The disaster was the deadliest migrant shipwreck in the English Channel. Most of those who died were Iraqi Kurds, and the tragedy prompted renewed scrutiny of the criminal networks organising dangerous journeys to Britain.
The UK’s response to the disaster was examined by the Cranston Inquiry, an independent public inquiry that published its final report in February 2026. It concluded that some of the deaths were avoidable, citing failures in the response by British and French authorities. It revealed the systemic problems in the search-and-rescue response, including communication failures and missed opportunities to intervene.
Bashdar was arrested in Iraq in October 2022. His case is part of wider efforts to pursue those suspected of organising the dangerous crossing between France and the UK.
The Kurdistan region, UK and France have co-operated on efforts to tackle the smuggling networks responsible for Channel crossings, with investigations into the 2021 disaster spanning multiple countries.
The UK has sought to tackle Channel crossings further upstream through an international working group involving Iraq and the Kurdistan region, focusing on disrupting smuggling networks before migrants reach Europe. The issue has become increasingly prominent in British politics, with small-boat arrivals a major focus of debate over border security and immigration.
The trial in Erbil brings the case back to the Kurdistan region, where many of the victims and their families came from. Zana Mamand Mohammed, whose brother Twana made the journey and whose body was never found, has been leading the efforts by family members in the pursuit of justice.
“The trial currently under way in Erbil is precisely the reason why Bashdar has not been prosecuted in France – the same person cannot be tried twice for the same crime in two different countries,” French lawyers Matthieu Chirez and Thomas Ricard told The National in a joint statement.
“The victims' families there are following the proceedings very closely and remain deeply affected by what is yet another step in this legal process, which began almost five years ago,” they added.
Before entering the courtroom, Mr Mohammed and the other family members gathered in a circle, encouraging one another ahead of the proceedings. He reminded them why they had come, as several women wept while he spoke.
Mr Mohammed has emerged as the families’ main advocate, leading their fight for justice and accountability for the deaths of their loved ones.
Inside the courtroom, the judge called the relatives forward one by one, forming a line just metres from the man they accuse of being responsible for their loss. When they had all taken their seats, Mr Mohammed returned to the front of the court to set out the case against Bashdar, recounting how he lost his brother and other relatives in the Channel disaster.
Beside the pillar that partially obscured Bashdar from the audience sat his two lawyers. None of his family members attended the hearing.
One row of seats was filled with university students, young people studying for a future at home as the court heard how others of their generation had risked everything to find a better one abroad. Their presence offered a stark contrast between those preparing to build a life in the Kurdistan region and those who had left in search of economic opportunities elsewhere, never to return.
Mr Mohammed told the judges the story of how his brother ended up involved in the tragedy as the woman in black began to cry more loudly. Originally from Hajiawa, a town in Ranya district, Twana was 18 when he got in touch with Bashdar, also known as Bashdar Ranya at the time. Mr Mohammed said he left $3,200 as a deposit at a money shop, as instructed by Bashdar.
On August 10 he left Erbil for Istanbul by plane after obtaining a Turkish visa. On October 8, he left Italy by yacht and arrived on October 12. He arrived in France on October 25, and on the night of November 23-24, when he was crossing from France to Britain, the incident occurred.
“They told them they would use a good boat,” Mr Mohammed told the court. The boat they were put on was only supposed to hold up to 25 people, but there were 34 on board, he added.
The life vests they were provided with were also inadequate. Rasul Farka told The National that his son Pshtiwan and the others on board had their life vests torn when the boat capsized. Pshtiwan was 18 when he left, and his body is among the four that were never found.
Mr Farka said his son had gone to try to earn money for his sister Srwa’s heart surgery. His youngest daughter had been born with a heart defect.
“Here, he was an innocent man and didn't have problems with anyone. God willing, he will return,” she said, appearing to hold on to hope that her brother may still be alive. Mr Farka and his wife brought photos of their son to show the court.
The judges did not sentence Bashdar on Monday, and no date has been set for subsequent sessions. However, proceedings were initiated against the money shop that Mr Mohammed had mentioned. Bashdar’s defence does not deny his involvement as a smuggler but says he did not place the victims on the boat. As he was escorted out of the courtroom, he appeared to be angry and mumbled to himself.
After the session, Afrasia Ahmed Mohammed's parents arrived, too late to catch the hearing. “She just got out of surgery and she is like this because of the loss of her son,” Mr Farka said of Afrasia's mother, who is elderly, is unable to walk or stand by herself and had a bandage on her eye. His father showed a photo of his son, who was 27 at the time, as Mr Farka broke down in tears. Pshtiwan, Twana and Afrasia had travelled together.
The National’s previous reporting has traced the smuggling networks linked to the Channel tragedy to Ranya, a town in Iraqi Kurdistan that has emerged as a hub for people-smuggling operations.
An investigation last year showed how money-exchange businesses in the town, known as hawalas, were used to facilitate payments between migrants and smuggling networks operating across Europe.
“Today, we are very happy that the smuggler was tried at the Erbil court. We are very happy, and we hope that he will face a severe punishment,” Srwa said.
Sunniva Rose contributed from Paris