U.S. lawmakers are being hailed by religious rights advocacy groups for their show of unity in calling for the release of a detained pastor in Turkey, Christian News reported.
Nearly 80 members of Congress—Republicans and Democrats from both the Senate and House of Representatives—on Wednesday signed a joint letter addressed to Turkish President Recep Erdogan, calling for the immediate release of pastor Andrew Brunson.
The American pastor has been languishing in a Turkish prison since October after being slapped with a false terrorism charge mainly because of his Christian faith, supporters say.
The pastor has spent "Thanksgiving, Christmas, and his birthday locked away in a prison cell in Turkey, the only Christian among 19 prisoners confined in a 10-person cell," according to the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ).
The 78 members of Congress who signed the letter express their belief that Brunson is innocent of the charge and that his imprisonment is unjust.
"There appears to be no evidence to substantiate the charges against him for membership in an armed terrorist organization," the letter reads. "Moreover, your government has repeatedly denied regular and appropriate access to legal counsel and American consular services."
It asks that Erdogan "inquire as to the options for promptly deporting Mr. Brunson and ... act on them expeditiously."
The lawmakers warned that Brunson's imprisonment "places significant strain not only on him and his family, but also on the robust bilateral relationship between the United States and Turkey."
Reacting to the lawmakers' initiative, International Christian Concern (ICC) advocacy director Isaac Six said, "We're overjoyed to see such incredible support for Andrew from across the U.S. Congress."
Brunson has been leading a Protestant church in Izmir, Turkey. He and his wife Norine have been living in Turkey for over 20 years.
In October, the pastor was suddenly accused of having "membership in an armed terrorist organisation," specifically Fetullah Gulen, which Turkish authorities accused of instigating a military coup against the Erdogan government in July.
He and his wife were immediately arrested and taken into police custody. Brunson's wife was released 12 days later, but Brunson remained locked up in prison.
