An American pastor who was convicted of terrorism charges and spent time in a Turkish prison was released Friday by authorities and is now safely back in the United States.
Andrew Brunson and his wife arrived in Germany overnight, where he was examined by U.S. Air Force doctors.
Brunson had been held in a Turkish prison since October 2016 before being placed under house arrest in July after the Turkish government charged Brunson with terrorism.
Brunson’s trial concluded Friday morning when the Turkish court found him guilty, but decided to release him back to the U.S. due to time served.
Throughout his detention, his family wore wrist bands that said, "Free Pastor Andrew," and did not give up hope of his release, Fox13Memphis reported. The family told WHBQ that they thanked the Trump administration for its hard work in securing Brunson's release.
Brunson spent the last 23 years in Turkey, where he started a family and founded a church, Fox13Memphis reported.
Brunson met with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office Saturday afternoon, where he prayed for the president.
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