Turkey places jailed US cleric under house arrest
Andrew Craig Brunson's detention has been turned into house arrest due to his 'health problems', according to Turkish court
IZMIR, Turkey
American Pastor Andrew Craig Brunson, who is facing terror charges in Turkey, has been put under house arrest, according to a Turkish court ruling on Wednesday.
Brunson was arrested in the Aegean province of Izmir in December 2016; he was charged with committing crimes, including spying for the PKK terror group and the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind the defeated coup attempt of July 2016.
The High Criminal Court no:2 in Izmir decided to turn Brunson's detention into house arrest due to his "health problems".
Turkish prosecutors are seeking a 35-year jail term for Brunson.
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 U.S. cleric later left the prison with police escort after completing certain procedures.
Extensive security measures have been taken at the Brunson residence.
Reporting by Omer Sut:Writing by Meryem Goktas
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