“There’s a lot of bad stuff happening in Turkey right now, most of it not toward Christians but toward people who are accused of supporting Fethullah Gülen,” Brunson said. “I have many friends in prison in Turkey now who should not be in prison. Many families have been destroyed.” In the midst of intense persecution, the Brunsons shared they would go back if they were able to. 

Pastor Andrew Brunson was celebrated at some big events in Washington this week after being freed from two years of captivity in Turkey.

Pastor Brunson made headlines in October 2016, when he was unjustly accused of terrorist-related charges by the Turkish government. Turkey claimed he was a spy, but US officials criticized the government for creating false charges to use him as a bargain for negotiations, and for persecuting him for his Christian faith.

The first event for Brunson this week was the State of the Union on Tuesday night on Capitol Hill. Brunson and his wife, Norine, were guests of US Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC).  Tillis, a representative of Brunson’s home state, helped to fight for his freedom.

The following day, Pastor Brunson attended a celebratory event for his release at Capitol Hill. In his speech reported in Politico and the Christian Post, he thanked evangelical leaders, organizations, and US officials who fought for his freedom.

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