Turkish court rejects US pastor’s release appeal for third time

The Third İzmir High Criminal Court rejected U.S. Pastor Andrew Craig Brunson’s appeal for release on Friday.

This is the third time his appeal for release has been rejected by Turkey.

Ismail Cem Halavurt, Brunson’s lawyer, applied to the higher court after the appeal was also rejected by Izmir's Second High Criminal Court on Wednesday.

Recently, the court had allowed Brunson to be moved from jail and placed him under house arrest in view of his "health problems".

Brunson is charged with spying for the PKK -- a designated terrorist group in the U.S. and Turkey -- and the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ), the group behind the defeated July 2016 coup attempt in Turkey which martyred 251 people and injured thousands.

Turkey and the U.S. are currently experiencing rocky relations after Washington imposed sanctions on two Turkish ministers for not releasing the pastor.

President Donald Trump said on Thursday the United States "will pay nothing" to Turkey for the release of Brunson, who he called "a great patriot hostage."

“Turkey has taken advantage of the United States for many years. They are now holding our wonderful Christian Pastor, who I must now ask to represent our Country as a great patriot hostage. We will pay nothing for the release of an innocent man, but we are cutting back on Turkey!” Trump tweeted.

Threats from top U.S. officials targeting Turkey continued with U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who said at a cabinet meeting that sanctions were ready to be put in place if Brunson was not freed.

"We have more that we are planning to do if they don't release him quickly," Mnuchin said during the meeting.

President Donald Trump on Friday ramped up his attack on Turkey by doubling U.S. tariffs on Turkish aluminum and steel imports to 20 percent and 50 percent, respectively.

On Wednesday, Turkey increased tariffs on several U.S.-origin products, including alcohol and tobacco products and cars in retaliation.