Turkish court orders American pastor to be kept under house arrest instead of prison
A court in Turkey on Wednesday ordered an American pastor, who has been in detention for about two years on charges of "terrorism," to be placed under house arrest instead of prison.
Andrew Brunson, a Christian pastor from North Carolina who has lived in Turkey for more than 20 years, was arrested in October 2016 and accused of aiding the perpetrators of the failed coup attempt in 2016.
In addition to America's support for the Syrian Kurds in the war against ISIS and the failure to extradite Fethullah Gulen, a Turkish cleric living in the United States, the case of this cleric is another factor in the dispute between Washington and Ankara.
The government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan holds Gulen and his supporters responsible for the July 15, 2016 coup and has prosecuted individuals who are somehow associated with him.
According to Reuters, Mr. Brunson's lawyer has upheld today's ruling by an Istanbul court judge to transfer his American client from prison to house arrest.
According to him, the American pastor is not allowed to leave the country and, at the same time, must wear an electronic tracker on his ankle in order to be under the surveillance of security forces.
Before his arrest, Andrew Brunson worked as a pastor at a small Protestant church in a southern city in the province of Izmir and has denied the charges against him.
Mr. Brunson's lawyer had requested his client's release from the same court last week, but the judge opposed it.
According to the official Turkish news agency, Anadolu, the judge has re-examined the case and changed the detention order to house arrest for medical reasons and considering Brunson's physical condition.
Andrew Brunson could face up to 35 years in prison if convicted.
US President Donald Trump has called for the release of the 50-year-old American pastor.
The US Senate has previously, in response to this issue and Ankara's decision to purchase the Russian S-400 missile system, passed a law banning the sale of American F-35 fighter jets to Turkey.
Source: Voice of America
