Turkey places jailed American pastor under house arrest

An American pastor, whose imprisonment has contributed to heightened tensions between the US and Turkey, was released from a Turkish prison on Wednesday (July 25) and placed under house arrest.

The American Pastor Andrew Craig Brunson, who is facing terror charges in Turkey, has been put under house arrest, according to a Turkish court ruling.

Brunson was arrested in Izmir in December 2016; he was charged with committing crimes, including spying for the PKK and the Fetullah Organization (FETO).

The High Criminal Court no:2 in Izmir decided to turn Brunson’s detention into house arrest due to his "health problems".

The court decided to allow Brunson to live at his address in Izmir, but barred him from "abandonment of residence" and also imposed a ban on him leaving the country.

The US cleric later left the prison with police escort after completing certain procedures.

Extensive security measures have been taken at the Brunson residence.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called the decision to let pastor Andrew Brunson out of prison "long overdue," but said that it is "not enough."

"We have seen no credible evidence against Mr. Brunson, and call on Turkish authorities to resolve his case immediately in a transparent and fair manner," Pompeo tweeted.

We welcome long overdue news that Pastor Brunson has been moved from prison to house arrest in Turkey, but it is not enough. We have seen no credible evidence against Mr. Brunson, and call on Turkish authorities to resolve his case immediately in a transparent and fair manner.

Trump appealed to Erdogan directly in a tweet earlier this month.