Second Brunson Hearing Concludes in Turkey, Next Court Date Set
The second hearing for pastor Andrew Brunson has ended, and Brunson will remain in prison in Turkey until his next court date on July 18, CBN News’ Abigail Robertson has tweeted. More details from the hearing to come.
Brunson has been accused of terrorism and spying, charges President Donald Trump calls “shameful and disgusting.” If convicted, the 51-year-old North Carolinian pastor, who has been jailed since 2016, could be sentenced to 35 years in prison.
Turkish officials and witnesses have connected him to a network led by Muslim preacher Fethullah Gulen, who is accused of orchestrating a failed military coup in Turkey in 2016, and to the outlawed Kurdish PKK militant group.
In a Reuters story, Brunson was quoted as saying, “I am helping Syrian refugees, they say that I am aiding the PKK. I am setting up a church, they say I got help from Gulen’s network,” referring to the testimonies of anonymous witnesses in court.
The ACLJ is directly involved in his legal defense in Turkey. It has been obtaining witness statements in defense of Pastor Andrew from across the globe. It is aggressively working in Congress, with the State Department, the White House, the European Parliament, the European Council, and at the U.N. to fight for Pastor Andrew’s freedom. Be his voice with the ACLJ.
Stay tuned to Charisma News for more details from Brunson’s second hearing. {eoa}
