Update: Andrew Brunson moved from prison to house arrest in Turkey

American pastor Andrew Brunson has been moved from prison to house arrest, a week after a judge refused to acquit Andrew or grant him conditional release at his third hearing.

American pastor Andrew Brunson has been moved from prison to house arrest, a week after a judge refused to acquit Andrew or grant him conditional release at his third hearing.

Andrew and his lawyer requested the move due to concerns about Andrew's health.

This is certainly a step in the right direction. At times the conditions Andrew has been kept in during his imprisonment have been grim; in one prison where he was held, two dozen inmates were crammed into a cell designed for eight. The hot summer weather has made these conditions even worse, so being moved from prison will be an improvement.

However, he is due to appear in court again on 12 October, and he is not allowed to leave his house until then. By the time of this hearing he will have been under arrest for two years, despite never having committed a crime. If found guilty, he could face 35 years in prison.

False charges

Andrew has led a small church in the Turkish city of Izmir since 1993. He was arrested in October 2016, accused of having links with supporters of the Muslim cleric Fethullah Gülen, who is blamed for the failed 2016 coup against President Erdogan, and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party. Andrew denies all the charges, and his lawyer, Ismail Cem Halavurt, says there is ‘evidence that shows Brunson was arrested due to his faith’.

Andrew's wife Norine recently wrote on their facebook page: “He (Andrew) is trying to see things through the lenses of demonstrating the value, the worth of Jesus - that those whom He loves and who love Him are willing to suffer for Him."

PERSECUTION IN TURKEY

Turkey is number 31 on the 2018 World Watch List, Open Doors’ annual ranking of the 50 countries where Christians face the most extreme persecution. Christians make up a tiny minority in Turkey – there are just 190,000 believers out of a population of 80.4 million.

Islam is seen as part of being Turkish, so those who choose to follow a different faith are seen to be rejecting their national identity. Although Christians are not directly targeted by the government, the regime has openly declared Sunni Islam to be the religious norm in the country, marginalising Christians and other minorities. Christians from Muslim backgrounds face pressure from their families and communities to return to Islam, and some have been placed under house arrest by their families for refusing to do so.

Please pray for our church family in Turkey, and for Andrew Brunson and his family. Please pray:

• For healing for Andrew and for comfort and strength for him and his family
• That the Lord will have His hand on all the legal and diplomatic efforts on Andrew's behalf
• That Andrew will soon be free
• For protection and encouragement for other believers in Turkey, especially those from Muslim backgrounds.

Source: Middle East Concern