Murad Akincilar is a Turkish trade unionist and human rights activist, who is currently in prison in Istanbul awaiting trial on unspecified charges.

Supporters of the newspaper Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! have known Murad for 18 years, since he was a Masters student at the London School of Economics, and is supporting the campaign for his freedom being organised by Swiss trade union UNIA.

Having been living in Switzerland since 2001, during which time he worked for UNIA and campaigned for rights for migrant workers, Murad returned to Istanbul this summer. On 30 September 2009 he was arrested. Four days later he was taken to court and remanded in custody.

The Turkish state is well known for repressing its political opponents and for imprisoning and murdering socialists, communists, trade unionists and supporters of the Kurdish liberation struggle

Fax letters of protest about Murad’s detention to the Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan   on   00 90 312 417 04 76 or 00 90 312 419 20 71

And to the Turkish ambassador to Britain Mehmet Yigit Alpogan on 020 7393 0066

STOP THE CRIMINALISATION OF TURKISH TRADE UNIONISTS!

LONG LIVE INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY!