Constitutional Court finds Pastor Brunson’s application ‘inadmissible’

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The Constitutional Court has pronounced its detailed ruling regarding the application of Pastor Andrew Craig Brunson about his house arrest.

Brunson was previously arrested in Turkey, only to be released to house arrest. After he was released, he has returned to the US.

Accordingly, evaluating Bruson's allegation that "his right to personal liberty and security was violated as the judicial control measure in the form of not letting him leave his residence was not lawful," Turkey's Constitutional Court has concluded that this allegation is openly groundless. The Court has also found his house arrest a proportional measure.

The Constitutional Court has indicated that imposing judicial control measures on Andrew Craig Brunson after his arrest ended were "relying on factual bases"; the Court has found his application "inadmissible."

Indicating that Brunson is the citizen of another country and there was a prosecution against him on charges related with the "FETÖ/PDY", which is held responsible for the coup attempt on July 15, 2016, and with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), the Constitutional Court has said:

"Taken together with the special circumstances of the incident as well as with the content of the rulings given by the Heavy Penal Court, it has been concluded that the reasons for imposing a judicial control measure in case of a flight risk were relying on factual bases.

"When the characteristics of the concrete case are taken into account, it cannot be said that the judicial control measure implemented by the İzmir 2nd Heavy Penal Court on the applicant was disproportional."

The Constitutional Court has also unanimously rejected Brunson's application as to the unlawfulness of his imprisonment:

"It has been concluded that the allegations as to the violation of personal liberty and security due to the unlawfulness of the arrest and exceeding the permitted period are inadmissible due to prescription."

What happened?

CLICK - Summary of Pastor Brunson Trial

US Pastor Andrew Craig Brunson faced up to 15 years in prison on charge of "committing crimes in the name of a terrorist organization as a non-member" and up to 20 years in prison on charge of "espionage".

Pastor Brunson was arrested in December 2016 and was placed under house arrest on July 25, 2018.

All objections to Brunson's arrest which had been submitted by his attorney İsmail Cem Halavurt were rejected. Halavurt applied to the Constitutional Court on October 3, 2018 and demanded that Brunson be released from house arrest and his international travel ban be lifted.

CLICK - 'We'll Impose Sanctions on Turkey for Detainment of Brunson'

At this fourth last hearing held on October 12, 2018, The court board ruled that Brunson shall be sentenced to 3 years, 1 month and 15 days in prison and lifted the house arrest and international travel ban, which were previously issued for Brunson.

Brunson has been released considering the time that he spent in prison.

He has returned to the US. (AS/SD)