Pastor Andrew Brunson, after he lost 50 lbs. in Turkish prison. (Image source: American Center for Law and Justice)
He has been imprisoned since October, 2016. His trial begins today!
Posted on 04/16/2018 3:07:16 PM PDT by Texas Fossil
The Turkish government is using Pastor Brunson's detention as a bargaining chip. In exchange for his freedom, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had demanded the return to Turkey from the United States of self-exiled cleric Fethullah Gülen, a political opponent, whom Erdogan claims was behind the failed coup against him in the summer of 2016.
"They are treating the U.S. government with contempt and paying no price for it." — Pastor Andrew Brunson, March 17, 2018.
Turkey -- a NATO member holding an American political prisoner hostage -- has so far faced no consequences.
An American Pastor, Andrew Brunson, has been jailed on false charges in Turkey since October, 2016. He is accused, in a 62-page indictment of espionage, overthrowing the Turkish Parliament and government, undermining the constitutional order of the state, and membership in an armed Islamic terrorist group, namely the "Fethullahist Terrorist Organization/Parallel State Structure", or the "FETÖ/PDY", which the Turkish government accuses of organizing the failed coup attempt in 2016.
Brunson was not charged until after being imprisoned for 17 months without any evidence at all, and with no access to his file. In late March, Turkish prosecutors finally filed official charges and called for a life sentence of 35 years. His trial is scheduled to begin on Monday, April 16.
(Excerpt) Read more at gatestoneinstitute.org ...
Pastor Andrew Brunson, after he lost 50 lbs. in Turkish prison. (Image source: American Center for Law and Justice)
He has been imprisoned since October, 2016. His trial begins today!
Maybe he opted not to select Midnight Express as his in-flight entertainment when traveling to Turkey.
Brunson has lived in Turkey for 23 years with his wife and three children without incident. He was applying for permanent residency in Turkey before his arrest and served as pastor at the Protestant Resurrection Church in Izmir.
I was glad to FINALLY see Pastor Brunson’s story on Mainstream Media tonight (on CBS nightly news). Hope it’s on many other shows as well, including liberal and conservative news.
Prayers said for Pastor Brunson!!!!
Prayer Bump!
Kathy in Alaska, please consider contacting our FR prayer friends and ask them to pray for Pastor Brunson.
More information on Freerepublic.com and aclj.org. Jay Seckulo’s group has been working hard on freeing Pastor Brunson.
Back in 1987, 15 missionaries in Kenya were accused of being part of a $100 million KKK plot to overthrow seven African countries, beginning with Kenya.
Two couples were deported within 12 hours and a third couple within 24 hours.
Thankfully, the rest of us were not jailed but given a week to leave the country. We sold or gave away all our things then after a week the Government of Kenya returned our passports and said, “You can go back to work.” I guess things like this “just kinda go with the territory!”
Please pray for Pastor Brunson and his family! He is from a local church and several of our mission’s staff are friends of his.
Guess tomorrow the word may come out stating what he was sentenced to. There is NO rule of law in Turkey, whatever Erdogan says is the law. No judge will dare cross him, he will be removed immediately if he does and another will replace him and do Erdogan's bidding. Erdogan will not release the pastor without tribute being paid.
Remember, “Brunson was not charged until after being imprisoned for 17 months without any evidence at all, and with no access to his file. In late March, Turkish prosecutors finally filed official charges and called for a life sentence of 35 years.”
And he has lost almost 50 lbs. while imprisoned.
No, Kenya definitely is NOT Turkey!
My point was that autocratic rulers/governments can & will conjure a scapegoat to deflect public attention from the failures & nefarious deeds of said government or in order to inflame the populace and to acquire more power. This is true whether done by a Caliph wanna-be like Ergodan toward Rev. Brunson or a one-party state in Kenya or by ‘The Swamp’ using a ‘gotcha’ FBI interview to create process crimes for people like Martha Stewart, Scooter Libby, et al.
The US is not Turkey, but how can we say that there is justice when Gen. Flynn is forced to plead guilty and Hillary & Co. jet set the world raking in millions.
Yes, I agree.
Especially considering what happened yesterday in the SDNY Federal Court action concerning records seizure from Attorney Michael Cohen.
3 nights ago finishing at 3:00AM I read the redacted Prosecutors “Charging documents” in total disbelief.
There were no Charges brought but the areas that they said justified the seizure of records were all redacted.
—
Redacted Charging document https://www.politico.com/f/?id=00000162-c035-db71-a37e-e4bff8f00001
“the USAO-SDNY has already received correspondence from counsel for the Trump Organization (Cohen’s former employer), which referenced the searches conducted of Cohen’s premises and claimed:
We consider each and every communication by, between or amongst Mr. Cohen and the Trump Organization and each of its officers, directors and employees, to be subject to and protected by the attorney-client privilege and/or the work-product privilege.”
“Accordingly, the nature of the USAO-SDNY’s investigation and the nature of the offenses—which sound in fraud and evidence a lack of truthfulness—weighed heavily in favor of the USAO-SDNY’s decision to execute search warrants.”
—
Yes, this sounds like actions of a 3rd World Country and a Dictator. (no Trump has nothing to do with bring the charges, only Special Prosecutor Mueller does)
Will these actions stand? I doubt it. But whether they do or not will not prevent the charges that will be brought against the plotters who work in the DOJ and FBI who have actively tried to prevent a Presidential Candidate from winning and to remove an elected President of the U.S.
Never in the history of the US government has such a crime been committed by groups of Federal Government employees.
Yes, under the 8 years of the Obama-nation the rule of law has been horribly compromised in the US. Via a database system.
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