A Turkish court has sent pastor Andrew Brunson back to prison to await a new court hearing set for Oct. 12.
The American pastor has been imprisoned for nearly two years, held on made-up charges of terrorism, preaching the gospel and other things.
“Pastor Brunson has been the victim of one of the most notorious smear campaigns in Turkish history,” Aykan Erdemir, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and former member of Turkey’s parliament, told CBN News.
Erdemir and other experts were cautiously optimistic that Brunson would be set free Wednesday, but it didn’t come to pass.
Since Brunson was jailed, his case has grabbed international headlines and united members of Congress often at odds.
A number of members have been to Turkey to visit Brunson and plead his case, along with the Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback.
Congress has introduced a range of sanctions, including visa restrictions, against Turkish officials responsible for Brunson’s false imprisonment.
Meanwhile, Christians and concerned people across America and the world are praying for Pastor Brunson’s release. {eoa}
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