Two Scots journalists held in a detention centre “like an open sewer” have begged the international community to rescue 101 refugees, including children, still there.
Sermad Al-Khafaji, 43, from Glasgow, and Alexandra Foreman, 34, from Cullen, Moray, were filming refugees seeking asylum from Turkey to Bulgaria last month.
The group, from eight different countries but all of the same religion, had paperwork allowing them to pass, but border police chained the gates closed, beat many of the men and detained everyone including 22 children.
Alexandra and Sermad were released after more than a week locked up but Sermad was badly beaten and Alexandra, who spoke to the Record yesterday, remains traumatised.
She said: “It was like your worst nightmare coming true. People who were pleading were beaten with batons, men and women. It was utterly terrifying.”
The refugees, from the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light, were fleeing Algeria, Iran, Morocco, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Thailand, Jordan and Turkey because they were being persecuted for their faith.
Human rights groups had negotiated a move across the Turkish border into Bulgaria for the asylum seekers, who were expected to apply to move to other safe countries.
Speaking about the detention centre, Alexandra added: “It was like an open sewer. Food was inadequate. It was no good for the children and most of them became ill.”
She said she and Sermad were grateful to be home, but could not forget those left behind. She added: “They were in a terrible state when we were allowed to leave. I dread to think how much that will have deteriorated. They need our help.”
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