Economics

Turkey Frees U.S. Pastor in Move Long Sought by Trump and Pence

Brunson was convicted, but set free on time already served
Case had led U.S. to impose sanctions on Turkish ministers

U.S. Pastor Andrew Brunson has been freed from a Turkish prison. Bloomberg’s Simin Demokan reports.Source: Bloomberg)

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By Cagan Koc, Onur Ant, and Nick Wadhams

October 12, 2018 at 1:34 PM UTC

Updated on

October 12, 2018 at 8:45 PM UTC

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A Turkish court set free U.S. Pastor Andrew Brunson after holding him in prison for almost two years, removing a key source of tension between Turkey and the United States.

The court in Izmir convicted Brunson, 50, an evangelical pastor from North Carolina, and sentenced him to three years, 1 month and 15 days in jail, but lifted all judicial controls and released him after accounting for penalty reductions and time served.