March 13, 2018 - 4:30 AM
ANKARA, Turkey - Media reports say Turkish prosecutors are seeking life imprisonment for an American pastor who is accused of links to a U.S.-based Muslim cleric blamed for a failed coup attempt in Turkey.
The private Dogan news agency said Tuesday that in their indictment, prosecutors in the western Turkish city of Izmir are charging pastor Andrew Brunson with being a member and of leading a terror organization. The indictment would need to be approved by a court before prosecution can begin.
Brunson, who has lived in Turkey for more than 20 years, was arrested soon after the July 2016 coup attempt.
The U.S. has demanded that the pastor, who denies the accusations, be freed.
Gulen, who lives in Pennsylvania, has denied involvement in the coup. Turkey is seeking his extradition from the U.S.
News from © The Associated Press, 2018