The lawyer for US evangelical pastor Andrew Brunson said he filed an appeal on Wednesday to Turkey's constitutional court for his client's release from house arrest.
The case of Andrew Brunson, whose next regular court hearing is on Oct. 12, has become the most divisive issue in a worsening diplomatic row between Ankara and Washington that has triggered US sanctions and tariffs against Turkey.
The filing to the constitutional court showed the lawyer had requested the court to rule that Brunson's right to freedom had been violated and to release him from house arrest.
Ismail Cem Halavurt, lawyer of US pastor Andrew Brunson, speaks to media members after the trial in Aliaga, July 18, 2018. /VCG Photo
State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told a news conference on Tuesday that the United States would maintain close contact with the Turkish government over Brunson's trial.
"We certainly would like Pastor Brunson home right away. It's long overdue."
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said politicians have no sway on the judiciary and that the courts will decide on Brunson's fate. He said on Monday that Brunson has "dark links with terror organizations."
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during the UN General Assembly meeting in New York, September 25, 2018. /VCG Photo
Who is Andrew Brunson?
The 50-year-old, a North Carolina native, is a pastor of the small Izmir Resurrection Church, leading about two dozen followers, according to the BBC. He has been in Turkey with his wife and children for over 20 years.
Brunson was arrested in 2016, and accused of having connections to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and Pennsylvania-based Muslim preacher Fethullah Gulen, which Turkey blames for a failed coup attempt the same year.
Brunson, who denies all charges, has been placed in detention since. He could face up to 35 years in jail for espionage if convicted.
"He appears to be held simply because he's an American citizen who as a man of faith was in contact with a range of people in this country who he was trying to help, in keeping with his faith," US Ambassador to Turkey John Bass said in October last year.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted last month, saying "we have seen no credible evidence against Mr. Brunson."
(With input from Reuters)