World Watch Monitor | 073118
No hard evidence was produced against US pastor Andrew Brunson at his latest trial hearing on 18 July by the three prosecution witnesses called to give verbal testimony before Izmir’s Second Criminal Court.
Judicial interrogations at this hearing focused almost entirely on the pastor’s connections with ethnic Kurds. Although one member of his church testified that she had never observed any bias toward Kurds or support for the illegal Kurdish Workers’ Party (PKK) by the pastor, the two other witnesses conjectured that he was linked to the armed terrorist group, which has launched deadly guerrilla attacks against the Turkish state and its military for decades.
Brunson accuser dodges live court appearance
The first individual to testify against Brunson on 18 July was not a secret witness. But nevertheless the court, without explanation, allowed Levent Kalkan to address the court by remote video, reportedly from Edremit, a town around 150 kilometres from the Aliaga prison and court complex.