ATIK (Confederation of Workers from Turkey in Europe), New Woman and UPOTUDAK (International Committee of Solidarity with Political Prisoners) issued a written statement calling on people to join the march promoted on 2 December to demand the freedom of revolutionary Müslüm Elma. 

The statement recalled that Müslüm Elma has spent over 20 years in prison in Turkey and since 15 April 2015 he is in a prison in Munich. 

Müslüm Elma and 9 others were arrested on information passed to Germany by the Turkish Intelligence (MIT) tried in Munich and since the beginning it has been clear that it was a political trial. Elma is still wanted in Turkey for membership of the Marxist-Leninist Communist Party.

Who is Müslüm Elma

Müslüm Elma lives in Germany since 2009. He has been granted political asylum in Germany because of his persecution in Turkey where he spent 22 years in prison. He was arrested following the 1980 military coup and subjected to severe torture in Diyarbakır No. 5 prison. He took part in hunger strikes and death fasts in 1983 and 1986 against inhumane practices and torture in prisons.

He also joined the hunger strikes in prison in 1996 and 2000. These actions have left a mark on his health. 

The German authorities are keeping Elma in isolation despite his medical problems.