26 Facts About Andrew Brunson

Andrew Craig Brunson was born on January 3,1968 and is an American pastor.

On October 12,2018, Andrew Brunson was found guilty of aiding terrorism by the Turkish authorities and sentenced to prison.

Andrew Brunson was released from Turkish custody and immediately returned to the United States.

Andrew Brunson lived in Turkey for 23 years where he served as pastor of the Izmir Resurrection Church in Izmir.

Andrew Brunson, who was applying for Turkish permanent residency, was imprisoned on October 7,2016, as part of the purges that followed the failed 2016 coup attempt.

Andrew Brunson reportedly lost over 50 pounds while he was in prison.

Andrew Brunson was moved to house arrest on July 25,2018.

The Turkish government primarily claimed that Andrew Brunson was a member of the Gulen movement, but claimed that he worked with the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party, and claimed that he was involved with American espionage, among other things.

The United States stood firm in its argument that the trial was unacceptable because the government "has not seen credible evidence Mr Andrew Brunson is guilty of a crime and are convinced that he is innocent".

Turkish media reported that Andrew Brunson had been accused of espionage and attempting to overthrow the government.

Andrew Brunson was originally charged with having links to FETO and PKK.

The New York Times reported that two secret witnesses accused Andrew Brunson of "hosting Kurdish refugees in a guesthouse and holding services and gatherings sympathetic to the PKK".

Andrew Brunson denied helping the coup, and denied he had intentionally had contact with either group blamed for the coup.

Andrew Brunson was one of 20 American citizens who were prosecuted in connection with the post-coup purges.

Andrew Brunson contacted the chair of Amnesty International in Turkey, Taner Kilic, to ask about his residency permit nine times.

The prosecution claimed that Andrew Brunson was a collaborator with armed Kurdish groups, that he went to YPG territory in Syria, and that he wanted to Christianize Kurdistan and have it be a Christian state.

Andrew Brunson claimed that he evangelized Syrian refugees without regard to their ethnic identity, and strongly denied the idea that he had any connection with PKK members.

The prosecution claimed that Andrew Brunson helped the CIA with the attempted coup.

Andrew Brunson was accused of attending an event in a Turkish hotel where the American anthem was allegedly playing and several Turkish college students put their right hand on their heart and made vows, which the prosecution further alleges was some kind of "brainwashing" of these alleged students.

Andrew Brunson is not Mormon, but is alleged to have LDS contacts, which they further allege is suspicious.

The pro-Erdogan administration newspaper Takvim alleges that Andrew Brunson was a "high-level member of the Gulen movement" and an American spy, positioned to become CIA chief in Turkey had the 2016 coup attempt succeeded.

Takvims editor-in-chief, Ergun Diler, alleged that Andrew Brunson fended off an assassination attempt thanks to his intelligence agency training, further claiming that Andrew Brunson was influential all over the region.

On October 11,2017, departing US Ambassador to Turkey John R Bass said Brunson "appears to be being held simply because he's an American citizen who as a man of faith was in contact with a range of people in this country who he was trying to help, in keeping with his faith".

Commentators such as Vox's Jen Kirby have pointed to the pivotal role Andrew Brunson's case plays in it.

Andrew Brunson was moved to house arrest in Turkey from prison there following these negotiations.

On Friday, October 12,2018 Andrew Brunson was released and flown to the United States, where he met in the Oval Office with President Trump the next day.