Andrew Brunson is a American pastor who lived in Turkey for more than 20 years as a missionary with his wife.
He was imprisoned for two years on what religious freedom campaigners say were bogus terrorism-related charges including leading Turkey’s failed 2016 coup and being the head of the CIA for the Middle East.
His detainment drew international attention from world leaders including Donald Trump. The US president even put sanctions on Turkey, demanding that it set Brunson free.
Tola Mbakwe, journalist at Premier Christian News, interviewed Brunson a little over a year after his release.
He opened up about his harrowing experience in Turkish prisons, what it was like to be used as a political bargaining chip, and also the experience of having a massive prayer movement centred on him, ultimately strengthening his weakened faith and leading to his freedom.
The Profile