Turkey court rules to send Andrew Brunson back to prison until next hearing

NORINE AND ANDREW BRUNSON - Voice of the Persecuted

Posted at Voice of the Persecuted:

After the second hearing of Pastor Andrew Brunson’s trial, a Turkish court ruled to keep him behind bars until the next hearing scheduled for July 18, 2018. The ruling came after a secret witness accused Brunson of helping a terrorist organization and planning to create a Christian Kurdish state. Reports claim that secret witnesses are testifying via a video link with their faces blurred and voices altered.

Andrew repeatedly denied the prosecutor’s charges that he was involved with terrorism and espionage. Brunson said in his defense,

“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 Gülen’s network.” 

"There is not one photograph or tape recording praising the PKK at the (Izmir) Resurrection Church. Our church had several Turkish followers. Our doors were open to everyone. I strived to prevent politics entering the church.” 

“My service that I have spent my life on, has now turned upside down. I was never ashamed to be a server of Jesus, but these claims are shameful and disgusting.”

Brunson’s lawyer said that when a case lacks evidence, ‘it’s kind of become the custom’ to use secret witnesses that have no credibility or link to reality.

Three witnesses for Andrew’s defense were not permitted to testify on the grounds that they were also suspects in the case.

USCIRF Vice Chair, Sandra Jolley said the proceedings “were dominated by wild conspiracies, tortured logic, and secret witnesses, but no real evidence to speak of.”

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See also:

• May 7 Update on Pastor Andrew Brunson (Renovate)