The rejection could lead to the US imposing additional sanctions against Turkey sometime this week, the Journal reported. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Thursday that the United States is willing to do so if Brunson isn't released. "A real NATO ally wouldn't have arrested Brunson in the first place," the senior White House official told the Journal, referencing how Turkey is a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Brunson's incarceration in a Turkish prison has soured the two countries' relationship, sparking a crisis that has contributed to a sharp decline in Turkey's currency. On Friday, a Turkish high criminal court rejected Brunson's appeal to be released from house arrest and allowed to travel abroad after his appeal was rejected by a lower court.

Source: CNN August 20, 2018 01:18 UTC