U.S. pastor’s trial continues in Turkey

TURKEY: Jailed American pastor Andrew Brunson went on trial again Monday. After nearly 12 hours of courtroom proceedings, Turkish judges for a second time sent him back to prison, pending a July 18 continuation. Sunday night I attended an overnight vigil at Brunson’s home church in Black Mountain, N.C., where about 25 people—including Brunson’s 75-year-old mother, Pam—gathered to pray starting at 2 a.m. EDT to coincide with the beginning of the trial in Izmir. Pam Brunson—who with her husband, Ron, is a Presbyterian missionary who served in Mexico, Pakistan, and Russia—prayed throughout, including for jailed Christians in North Korea. She said, “Andrew is not a victim. Andrew is an instrument.” Her husband is currently in Mexico training Bible study leaders.

Brunson’s pastor and representatives from the Evangelical Presbyterian Church attended Monday’s trial, along with Sandra Jolley, vice chairwoman of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.

Among many issues, this international case now hinges on a push on Capitol Hill to clamp sanctions on Turkey and block future military sales to the NATO ally as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan moves forward in purchasing S-400 anti-aircraft missiles from Russia. “I want to stay hopeful, and I am hopeful he might be released. But in cases like this, it’s not all law here,” Brunson’s Turkish attorney, Ismail Cem Halavurt, told The Atlantic. “There are other things that are in play.”

American media plays a key role at this point, as Erdogan has successfully silenced independent press in Turkey.

We’ll continue to follow Brunson’s plight at wng.org.

LEBANON: Hezbollah and its political allies won just more than half the seats in Lebanon’s parliamentary election Sunday, boosting an Iranian-backed movement fiercely opposed to Israel and underlining Tehran’s growing regional clout. “The state of Israel will not differentiate between the sovereign state of Lebanon and Hezbollah, and will view Lebanon as responsible for any action from within its territory,” said Israeli Education Minister Naftali Bennett.

RUSSIA: Scores of protesters took to the streets over the weekend denouncing Monday’s inauguration of President Vladimir Putin to a fourth term. Among 1,600 marchers detained in 26 cities was opposition leader Alexei Navalny, whom Putin prevented from running in the election. Authorities released him a day later.

NEW ZEALAND: A sinkhole near the town of Rotorua as deep as two double-decker buses and two football fields long has opened a chasm of questions—exposing perhaps a long-dormant volcano.

NIGERIA: A Lagos mechanic has confessed to stealing more than 1,200 cell phones and selling them off to a criminal ring after his arrest in the capital.

To have Globe Trot delivered to your email inbox, email Mindy at mbelz@wng.org.