Pastor Andrew Brunson, who has been imprisoned in Turkey for almost two years, will be back in court on October 12. At the last court hearing on July 25, Andrew was fortunately allowed to be placed under house arrest instead of imprisonment, allowing him to be with his family.
However, the time since the court hearing has also been turbulent. In August, US President Donald Trump increased the pressure on Turkey to release Brunson by doubling tariffs on steel and other goods. Turkey responded by doubling tariffs on American goods such as cars and tobacco. As a result of the tariff war, the Turkish Lira has fallen drastically in value.
In early September, the case took another turn when the chief prosecutor in the case, Berkant Karakay, was transferred to another department. He is not the one who will continue to lead the case. Turkey's Minister of Justice, Abdulhamit Gul, denies that this has anything to do with Andrew's case, but points out that in Turkey it is normal to change lawyers and prosecutors in the middle of a case.
However, Andrew Brunson's lawyer sees a little hope in the replacement. "His transfer is perhaps a sign that the intentions of the case have changed"defense lawyer Ismail Cem Halavur tells Reuters. However, he emphasizes: "It's not right to say that he will be released based on this development. We will have to wait and see".
Andrew's next hearing begins on October 12th. Please join us in praying for Andrews and the upcoming hearing.
Read more about the case here.
