Pastor freed in Turkey and on his way home to US
The court in Izmir freed Andrew Brunson after holding him in prison for nearly two years, ending a key source of tension between Turkey and the US
Istanbul/Ankara/Washington — US pastor Andrew Brunson is on a plane home to the US after a Turkish court ruled he should be released, according to lawyer representing his family. "We're grateful to the president, members of Congress and diplomatic leaders who continued to put pressure on Turkey to secure the freedom of pastor Brunson," lawyer Jay Sekulow said in a statement. "The fact that he is now on a plane to the US can only be viewed as a significant victory for Pastor Brunson and his family." The court in Izmir freed Brunson after holding him in prison for almost two years, removing a key source of tension between Turkey and the US. It had convicted Brunson, an evangelical pastor from North Carolina, and sentenced him to three years, one month and 15 days in jail, but lifted all judicial controls and released him after accounting for penalty reductions and time served. Brunson had been accused of collaborating with terrorist groups and participating in a 2016 coup attempt in T...
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