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THE CHURCH MILITANT Ephesians 5:11-"And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them". This Christian News Blog maintains a one stop resource of current news and reports of its own related to church, moral, spiritual, and related political issues, plus articles, and postings from other online discernment ministries, and media which share the aims to obey the biblical commands to shed light on and refute error, heresy, apostasy, cults, and spiritual abuse.

Saturday, October 13, 2018

AMERICAN PASTOR ANDREW BRUNSON FREED TWO YEARS AFTER BEING ACCUSED OF CONNECTIONS TO TURKISH COUP ATTEMPT

AMERICAN PASTOR ANDREW BRUNSON FREED

TWO YEARS AFTER BEING ACCUSED OF CONNECTIONS

TO TURKISH COUP ATTEMPT

BY HEATHER CLARK

SEE: https://christiannews.net/2018/10/12/american-pastor-andrew-brunson-freed-two-years-after-being-accused-of-connections-to-turkish-coup-attempt/;

republished below in full unedited for informational, educational and research purposes:

ALIAGA, Turkey — Andrew Brunson, the American pastor arrested in 2016 after being accused of espionage and having connections to those involved in a failed coup attempt against the Turkish government, is now free to leave the country after a judge sentenced him to time served.

“This is the day our family has been praying for,” Brunson said in a statement released by the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), which had been working toward the pastor’s release. “I am delighted to be on my way home to the United States. It’s been an extremely difficult time for our family and we want to express our appreciation to the millions of people around the world who have faithfully prayed for this day.”

As previously reported, Brunson and his wife, Norine, who are from Black Mountain, North Carolina, were detained in October 2016 after being accused of having “membership in an armed terrorist organization,” specifically, the military coup that attempted to overthrow the Turkish government that year. Brunson has pastored Resurrection Church in Izmir for over 20 years.

According to World Watch Monitor, Turkish authorities detained and/or jailed thousands in their efforts to find those behind the operation. While Brunson’s wife was released 12 days after being taken into custody, in December, Brunson was escorted into court, being told that a “secret informant” had accused him of involvement in terrorism.

In September 2017, Brunson was informed via a video conference with a Turkish judge that additional charges had been filed, including espionage, acquiring secret political and military information, seeking to overthrow the Turkish parliament and attempting to change the constitutional order.

Brunson said that he was innocent and asked that proof be provided. He stated that he has been in Turkey for more than two decades to simply tell the people about Jesus and has nothing to hide.

In April, the ACLJ reported that an official indictment handed down against Brunson claimed that the pastor used “Christianization” as a “mask” to engage in “unconventional warfare” against the government.

“The indictment goes on to give accounts from ‘secret witnesses,’ one of whom is code named ‘Dua,’ or ‘Prayer,’ who gives his interpretation of Christianity,” outlined attorney Cece Heil. “Within the roughly 25 pages containing his preposterous allegations, he opines that, ‘In the Christian faith, the beginning of the battle known as Armageddon is mentioned.’ He goes on to say that Protestants believe that President Erdoğan is the antichrist and that American Protestants are ‘counting on being forerunners in the war to come…’”

Heil said that the “secret witness” cited in the indictment stated that the battle will be started by Israel, and that it is a Protestant belief that “all humans are slaves of the sons of Israel and Protestants.”

“Dua’s account makes up almost half of the entire indictment and lacks any substance or evidence to support any of his ridiculous claims,” she explained. “Furthermore, such claims are not only a gross mischaracterization of Christianity, but offensive. Pastor Andrew has spent over 23 years of his life peacefully serving the people of Turkey as a Christian pastor, and should not be imprisoned for simply living out his faith.”

In July, Brunson was placed under house arrest until his trial, scheduled for Oct. 12. Prosecutors initially sought a sentence of 35 years in prison.

“I am an innocent man. I love Jesus. I love Turkey,” Brunson told the court in Aliaga on Friday, expressing bewilderment at the charges that were being brought against him. He particularly noted that one witness who was questioned was speaking of events that were unrelated to the pastor.

According to reports, some witnesses also told the court that their testimony had been misconstrued, and one witness said that she did not even know Brunson.

While Bruson was ultimately convicted of aiding terrorism, the judge, whose name has not been released, sentenced Bruson to three years in prison, but reduced the sentence to time served due to good behavior. He is now free to leave the country.

“Pastor Brunson just released! Will be home soon!” President Trump tweeted Friday morning.

Both Trump and Vice President Pence had called for Bruson’s release, as did U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. In February 2017, nearly 80 members of U.S. Congress signed a letter to Turkish President Recep Erdoğan expressing doubt over the charges filed against the pastor. Brunson’s daughter also spoke before the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva earlier this year to plead for help for her father.

____________________________________________________________________

Turkey releases US Pastor Andrew Brunson

after holding him for two years on false charges

BY ROBERT SPENCER

SEE: https://www.jihadwatch.org/2018/10/turkey-releases-us-pastor-andrew

-brunson-after-holding-him-for-two-years-on-false-charges;
republished below in full unedited for informational, educational and research purposes:

Another triumph of Trump administration diplomacy. The Erdogan regime had hoped to trade Brunson for Fetuhullah Gulen, whom Erdogan has scapegoated as the supposed leader of a coup against him (Gulen and Erdogan are both adherents of political Islam; their rift is personal). Instead, Brunson is coming home.

“Pastor Andrew Brunson released to U.S. diplomatic personnel after being detained by Turkish authorities for two years,” by Erin Cunningham, Washington Post, October 12, 2018:

BREAKING: Brunson will be departing his apartment in Turkey to go to the airport to leave the country. His lawyer, Jay Sekulow, said Brunson will be flown to a U.S. air base in Germany where he will be evaluated and eventually flown back to the United States.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

ALIAGA, Turkey — A Turkish court on Friday convicted American pastor Andrew Brunson of aiding terrorism but sentenced him to time served and ordered his immediate release.

The case of the evangelical preacher caught up in Turkey’s post-coup security sweep had garnered attention at the highest levels of the U.S. government and become a sore point in the two countries’ relations.

Within minutes of the verdict, President Trump tweeted, “working very hard on Pastor Brunson.”

“PASTOR BRUNSON JUST RELEASED,” he tweeted later. “WILL BE HOME SOON!”

Turkish soldiers stand guard outside the entrance to Aliaga Prison Court after American pastor Andrew Brunson arrived ahead of his court hearing on Friday in Izmir, Turkey. (Chris Mcgrath/Getty Images)

While Brunson, 50, was convicted on terrorism charges and sentenced to three years in prison, the judge reduced his sentence to two years time served for good behavior. The pastor has been held under house arrest since July, for health reasons, but that arrangement was also ended so he could leave the country.

“The verdict was the best of a bad situation,” Brunson’s defense attorney, Ismail Cem Halavurt, said outside the courthouse in western Turkey.

Of Brunson’s plans to travel to the United States, Halavurt said: “He is going to go.”

“But I hope he is able to come back,” he added. “He is someone who absolutely loves Turkey.”

The cleric, who is from North Carolina, wept and embraced his wife, Norine, as they waited for the judge to issue the ruling Friday.

His trial had resumed Friday in Aliaga, a district roughly 40 miles from his longtime home in the city of Izmir, just hours after U.S. officials said a deal had been reached with Turkish authorities to secure his release.

He headed a small evangelical congregation in Izmir until his detention two years ago.

The pastor has been held since then on what he and the Trump administration said were false terrorism- and espionage-related charges. Prosecutors accused him of being linked both to Kurdish separatists and to the U.S.-based Muslim cleric Turkish authorities say orchestrated a failed coup attempt in 2016….

Brunson, who sat alone in front of a panel of judges and the state prosecutor, was also allowed to speak following each witness’s testimony.

“I never met any PKK fighters,” he said to the judges in Turkish.

In his final statement to the court just before the verdict was issued, Brunson said: “I’m an innocent man. I love Jesus. I love this country,” and broke down in tears.