Hasan Aksu, 33, Fatima, his wife, 35, and their children have been in detention for one month. They were detained when reporting at the Home Office in Glasgow on Monday 19th February at 4.30pm. The family were hurrying because it was little Yamur's fourth birthday and friends and neighbours were waiting in their flat for her birthday party. The family arrived in the UK on the 18th January 2001 and have lived in Glasgow for over six years.

The family were then given a removal date for the 22nd February, just three days after they were detained. Fortunately the family's lawyer was able to get the removal notice stayed.

On 8th March, their lawyer applied for bail to get the children out of Yarl's Wood IRC but the Home Office representative opposed bail on the grounds that Hasan and his family had not been to report at the Home Office reporting centre in Brand Street in Glasgow since September last year.

This is completely false. At the Unity Centre we have log-books of people going to report at the Home Office since March last year. 945 families have registered with us and six days a week we are open so that families can come and sign in our log books before going to report and then cross their names out after they return from reporting safely.

We have gone through our logbooks and have found Hasan or his wife Fatima's signature every Monday since September until their detention in February this year. The Unity Centre is less than 100 meters from the Home Office. It is inconceivable that anyone would log in with us and then not go to report.

The Home Office are not letting this family out despite the fact they have a fresh case lodged.

Hasan was forced to flee Turkey after the Turkish army beat him due to his involvement in a Turkish workers organization.

US State Department report/Turkey 2006:
The government struggled to achieve full implementation of new laws. The number of arrests and prosecutions of security forces who committed unlawful killings was low compared with the number of incidents, and convictions remained rare. - Security forces occasionally tortured, beat, and otherwise abused persons. - The executive branch at times undermined independence of the judiciary, and the overly close relationship of judges and prosecutors continued to hinder the right to a fair trial. Excessively long trials, lasting several years, were a problem. - The government limited freedom of expression through the use of constitutional restrictions and numerous laws, including articles of the Penal Code prohibiting insults to the government, the state, "Turkish identity," or the institution and symbols of the republic. - Violence against women, including so-called honor killings and rape, continued to be a widespread problem. - Child marriage was a problem. - Police corruption at all levels contributed to trafficking in women and children to and within the country for the purpose of sexual exploitation.
 http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2006/78844.htm

We are asking for people to send faxes and letters to Liam Byrne asking for the Aksu family to be released.

Hasan's case has received a great deal of publicity in Scotland getting front-page coverage in the Sunday Herald.
'Yamur asked when she could blow out her candles. Mum was in tears'
 http://www.sundayherald.com/news/heraldnews/display.var.1234280.0.yamur_asked_when_she_could_blow_out_her_candles_mum_was_in_tears.php

Pinar has received support form the staff and students at Shawlands Academy where she is currently studying for her standard grades and so has Byram from his school, St Conval's Primary School in Shawlands. Both children were taken to the detention centre in their school uniforms.

1) How you can help the Aksu family return to Glasgow:
Fax Liam Byrne, Minister for Immigration, using the model fax (Attached - AksuML.doc), which you can copy/amend/write your own (please ensure inclusion of Hasan Aksu's, full name and H.O. Ref: A1096974)

Fax: 0207 035 4745 (+ 44 207 035 4745 from outside the UK)

2) The Glasgow Campaign to Welcome Refugees have launched a petition (attached AskuFamily .doc) in support of the family which is attached to this email. If you can please get people to sign the petition and return it as soon as possible to the Glasgow Campaign or to the Unity Centre

Please send copies of any faxes/petitions to the Unity Centre

UNITY!
The Unity Centre
30 Ibrox Street
Glasgow G51 1AQ
0141 427 7992

 theunitycentre@btconnect.com
www.unitycentreglasgow.org