A Turkish court ruled on July 25 to move a jailed North Carolina pastor from prison to house arrest, a week after rebuffing defense pleas to do just that during his third courtroom hearing on July 18. The court in the western province of Izmir where Andrew Brunson has been held on flimsy espionage and terror charges since October 2016 said the decision had been made due to “health issues.” Brunson, who has become a lightning rod in US-Turkish relations, is believed to be suffering from depression.
The court said it had revisited its decision to remand him in custody after Brunson’s third courtroom hearing on July 18 in response to a plea from his lawyers. The 50-year-old will be transferred to his house in Izmir where he has lived with his wife, Norine, for more than 20 years, tending to a tiny congregation of Protestants until he was swept up in the mass arrests that followed the failed 2016 coup. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px 'Noto Sans'; color: #ff2500; -webkit-text-stroke: #ff2500} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} Brunson's next hearing was set for Oct. 12.
