After another month of languishing in a Turkish prison, Pastor Andrew Brunson had a second day in court, though the hearing on May 7th hardly resembled any court of law we might be familiar with.
Sandra Jolley, Vice Chair of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), attended the hearing in Aliaga and witnessed the nearly eleven hours of proceedings. USCIRF has condemned the charges against Pastor Brunson and called for his immediate release.
“We leave the courthouse with serious concerns. Today’s eleven hours of proceedings were dominated by wild conspiracies, tortured logic, and secret witnesses, but no real evidence to speak of. Upon these rests a man’s life,” said Vice Chair Jolley. “Worse still, the judge’s decision at the conclusion of today’s hearing to dismiss all of the witnesses called by Pastor Brunson’s defense without listening to a single minute of their testimony is simply unconscionable.”
We continue to pray for Andrew and know that God is sovereign in all things. Please join us in praying for Andrew's health, his family's strength and for his speedy release from this inhumane treatment.