A delegation from the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has visited Andrew Brunson, the American missionary pastor detained by Turkey on charges of trying to overthrow the government.
The delegation said the allegations were 'fabricated' and called for the immediate release of Brunson, who has been held since October last year.
Turkish media say the charges against him include membership of a network allegedly run by Fethullah Gülen, a US-based Muslim cleric blamed for the coup.
But the US says Brunson has been wrongfully imprisoned and has called for him to be released.
According to Christian Daily, when the USCIRF vice chairwomen Kristina Arriaga and Sandra Jolley visited him recently, Brunson thanked all those who had supported him and said that it was important that he had not been forgotten.
'The government of Turkey has fabricated charges against Pastor Brunson, largely based on purported "secret testimony"' said Arriaga. 'He should be released immediately.'
Brunson has reportedly lost more than 50 pounds due to stress. 'He lives in a world of psychic and physical dislocation,' Jolley said. 'Despite a public veneer of a legal process, the truth is Pastor Brunson has had no due process, no true information about the charges against him, unreliable court dates, and no idea when he ever again will see his children or his country.'
Last month, the Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan suggested that Brunson could be freed if the US handed over Gülen, who is now living in Pennsylvania. Washington dismissed the idea of handing over Gülen, who is accused of masterminding the failed military coup against Erdogan last year.
Until their arrest, Andrew and Norine Brunson led the Izmir Resurrection Church in Ankara, capital of Turkey, which has up to 40 regular members. They have lived in Turkey for 23 years.
His wife was released shortly after but Andrew has remained in custody with prosecutors alleging he had links with Gülen.
The USCIRF visit to Brunson came as relations between the US and Turkey 'have sunk to their lowest point in over four decades,' according to The Economist.
