Cover-up of human rights abuses and social apartheid against Kurds in southeast Turkey

Carole Ewart, Peter Hunter, Dee Flanigan,
Muharrem Erbey, Mike Dailly and Jillian Merchant

Govan Law Centre (GLC) was honoured to take part in a briefing from Turkey's Kurdish human rights lawyer and Vice-President of the Human Rights Association (IHD), Muharrem Erbey at UNISON Scotland's Glasgow HQ today.

Mr Erbey had been imprisoned without trial for five years under Turkey's 'Anti-Terror Law' since December 2009 on charges of 'membership of an illegal organisation'. He still awaits trial and is facing a further 15 years in prison if convicted; however, the charges against him are linked to his work as a human rights lawyer.

Anyone who democratically exposes or challenges human rights abuses in southeast Turkey is treated as a 'terrorist' and silenced through arrest, prison, intimidation, and fear.

Muharrem Erbey has worked for many years as a human rights lawyer and advocate in the southeast of Turkey, compiling reports on disappearances and extra-judicial killings in the region, while also representing local individuals in provincial, national and international courts (including the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg).

GLC heard oral testimony today which confirms there is wide-scale state suppression of the most grievous of human rights abuses against Kurdish people in southeast Turkey; with cities and infrastructure being destroyed and bombed, local people being unlawfully killed, and Kurdish culture being outlawed in a brutal form of social apartheid.

Over 50 Kurdish lawyers who have stood up against human rights abuses have been imprisoned and/or are awaiting trial; with 33 journalists in prison for trying to report this humanitarian crisis.

In May this year the United Nations human rights chief reported having received a succession of alarming reports about violations allegedly committed by Turkish military and security forces in south-east Turkey over the past few months, and urged the Turkish authorities to give independent investigators, including UN staff, unimpeded access to the area to verify the veracity of such reports. And yet, no-one is allowed to access and report on these human rights abuses.

Clearly, there is a major role for Scottish MSPs, MPs and MEPs to do more to help expose these human right abuses and ensure that Scottish and UK delegations are permitted entry to affected cities and communities in southeast Turkey; as well as using Scotland and the UK's influence to support the UN and EU to use its powers and tools to put pressure on the Government in Turkey to respect the rule of law and the legal, social and cultural rights of minority groups.

Cover-up of human rights abuses and social apartheid against Kurds in southeast Turkey

Govan Law Centre gives evidence to UN on housing and human rights in Scotland

Govan Law Centre (GLC) are concerned that living standards in Glasgow and Scotland have been decreasing in recent years as a result of austerity and cuts to services. What many people perhaps don’t realise is that this decline is a human rights issue and the UK has an obligation under international human rights law to always be progressively realising economic and social rights.

The UK and Scottish Governments must always be raising living standards and not violating the human right to an adequate standard of living by rolling housing standards back. The UN Committee on Economic and Social Rights reviews this progress every six years and in June 2016 they reviewed the UK’s record since 2008 and found it to be severely lacking. 

GLC contributed to this review by submitting a parallel report to let the UN know about the housing issues affecting our clients and the community we serve. This project was supported by the Legal Education Foundation through its Justice First Fellowship scheme. Our report told the Committee about:

·         Homelessness and rough sleeping in Glasgow

·         Experiences of tenants in the private rented sector

·         People with disabilities who are threat of losing their home

·         Asylum seekers housing rights

We recommended a list of 11 questions for the UN Committee to ask the UK at the review in Geneva and many of these issues were reflected in the Committee’s recommendations which can be read on their website.

Report author, GLC’s Dee Flanigan said: “Some of this information was directly from test cases being pursued by our Public Interest Litigation Unit (PILU). This Unit plans on using the UN Committee’s recommendations to set priorities for future cases. Two of our clients, Scott and Wadzanayi, also contributed by telling their own stories”.

GLC's Dee Flanigan

“The UN Committee shares our concerns about the private rented sector and urges the UK to address its social housing deficit and to more effectively regulate the private rented sector. They also are very concerned about the treatment of asylum seekers and urge the UK to allow them to work so they are not reliant on the state for food and housing. We pointed this out in our report”.

“In general the UN Committee criticised austerity measures saying that they were: ‘seriously concerned about the disproportionate adverse impact that austerity measures, introduced since 2010, are having on the enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights by disadvantaged and marginalized individuals and groups.’”

“We are meeting with the Scottish Government next month to discuss the recommendations. Meanwhile our PILU continues to pursue test cases to improve human rights especially the right to an adequate standard of living. The UN reviews many areas of human rights compliance and we will intend to report to them to let them know the real story of what is happening in our community”.

Open GLC's Parallel report as a PDF

Govan Law Centre gives evidence to UN on housing and human rights in Scotland

Launch of City-wide Private Rented Tenants Project for Glasgow

Govan Law Centre is delighted to announce the creation of a new specialist project for private rented sector tenants across Glasgow with an award of £454,780 from the Big Lottery Fund.

Big Lottery Fund Scotland Chair, Maureen McGinn, said: “I am delighted that Govan Law Centre is one of 60 groups sharing in our latest grants totalling over £17 million . This is life changing money which will support people and families facing challenging circumstances and I wish Govan Law Centre every success as it goes on to develop and expand this valuable project.”

GLC's Principal Solicitor Mike Dailly said: "The grant from the Big Lottery Fund Investing in Communities Programme provides Govan Law Centre with the vital resources to set up our city wide Private Rented Sector (PRS) Tenants Project and a dedicated team which will work on behalf of Private Rented Sector Tenants who are at risk of homelessness through the actions of their landlord or letting agency".

"This comes at a time when the private rented sector has doubled since 2001 and where PRS households make up 15% of all households in Scotland.  It is also a time of legislative change with the Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Act 2016 in the process of being implemented; the new act has the potential to make PRS tenancies more insecure". 

GLC's Prevention of Homeless Senior Manager Alistair Sharp said: "GLC’s Big Lottery Funded PRS research presented the voice of tenants living in the private rented sector in Glasgow and revealed that many feel Powerless with no expectation, choice or security; a private rented sector where a tenant’s right to a safe, secure, maintained and affordable home are too often ignored by letting agencies and landlords".

"We will fight for tenants’ rights and provide financial inclusion and capability solutions that ensure the tenants voice is heard and that their rights as tenants are not ignored and will ensure tenants are empowered, are secure, are able to choose, can expect to live in a safe, well maintained, secure and affordable home and that Govan Law Centres Private Rented Sector Project dedicated city wide team will fight for them and with them to secure their rights".

The new project creates four new posts: full details of how to apply for these posts is set out below:

Solicitor http://www.goodmoves.org.uk/jobs/28158

 

Welfare Rights Officer http://www.goodmoves.org.uk/jobs/28159

 

PRS Team Coordinator / Senior Caseworker http://www.goodmoves.org.uk/jobs/28160

 

Financial Inclusion/Capability Officer http://www.goodmoves.org.uk/jobs/28161

 

Launch of City-wide Private Rented Tenants Project for Glasgow

Govan Law Centre to launch Scotland's first Personal Insolvency Law Unit

Alan McIntosh, Project Manager

Govan Law Centre (GLC) is launching Scotland’s first Personal Insolvency Law Unit. The new pilot project  will provide both first and second tier specialist insolvency advice and representation to both consumers and front line, free sector advisers who are dealing with clients struggling with debt.

With personal insolvency law now increasingly complex and also being monetised by private sector firms seeking to charge clients, who are often vulnerable.

Alan McIntosh, the Unit's Project Manager, said: "The Unit is coming along at a vital time for Scotland, as although personal insolvency is currently at a 14-year low, we can expect numbers to being rising again as consumer debt levels increase".

“In that environment, with many advice agencies, like Citizen Advice Bureaux and local authorities suffering cuts to their funding, we need to ensure there is a service where people can access specialist advice - not only as to when insolvency may or may not be the correct option for them - but also in relation to defending bankruptcy actions raised against them, as the consequence of this can often be families’ losing their homes”.

GLC's Mike Dailly, Solicitor Advocate said: "GLC's Board believes there is a massive unmet legal need across Scotland for specialised insolvency advice - ultimately to ensure that people access the very best solution to meet their own particular needs and to protect their homes; whether that solution is through the Debt Arrangement Scheme, a negotiated settlement, trust deed, or sequestration. We are very proud and delighted to be launching this essential service".

Mr McIntosh said: “Scotland’s bankruptcy laws have also gone through seismic change over the last 15 years, meaning they now impact on more people’s lives, with over 150,000 people in Scotland using a form of insolvency since 2008, but also the remedies are more accessible and this means the risks of people using the wrong solution have increased.”

“This risk has also grown with the removal of the courts from the process, which although generally is to be welcomed, does mean people need to step cautiously so they don’t casually walk into a formal remedy without first taking specialist advice.” 

The unit opens for business on Monday 11 July 2016, and will provide advice to clients who:

• are already in a personal insolvency or formal debt remedy in Scotland
• are considering entering a personal insolvency remedy or are being made bankrupt by a   creditor;
• have either been in a Protected Trust Deed or made bankrupt before in Scotland.

Alan McIntosh LLB (Hons) graduated from the University of Aberdeen and is an approved money adviser for the Debt Arrangement Scheme. He has worked in the Money Advice and Personal Insolvency industry in Scotland for over 15 years in various positions, including as a front line adviser, trainer and policy officer. He is also a Personal Insolvency Practitioner in the Republic of Ireland.

Govan Law Centre to launch Scotland's first Personal Insolvency Law Unit

GLC seeks qualified solicitor to join its legal team in Glasgow's Govan

Govan Law Centre is seeking a qualified solicitor with good civil court and preferably tribunal experience. Experience in housing, homelessness, employment, equalities law and public administrative law would be an advantage.

The successful candidate will work from our main offices at Orkney Street in Govan. Regular court appearances will be required. This is a full-time post, however, job sharing will be considered. Click here for the Job Description for this post (opens as a PDF).
 
Please send a CV and covering letter explaining why you are interested in this post to: Candy Walker, Service Manager, Govan Law Centre, 18-20 Orkney Street, Glasgow, G51 2BX or m @ govanlc.com.

Closing date 4pm, Friday 1 July 2016.  Interviews will most likely take place on Friday 8th July 2016 at Govan Law Centre.  No recruitment agencies necessary thank-you. Govan Law Centre is a Registered Scottish Charity SC030193. http://www.govanlc.com/

GLC seeks qualified solicitor to join its legal team in Glasgow's Govan