Mubasher: A Turkish court rejected an appeal to release US evangelical pastor Andrew Brunson from house arrest, broadcaster Habertürk said on Friday.

Brunson is on trial in Turkey over terrorism charges after he was accused of backing a coup against the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government in 2016, while he is placed under house arrest in the coastal province of Izmir.

The pastor’s arrest has fuelled diplomatic tension between the US and Turkey, over which Washington raised tariffs on Turkish steel and aluminium imports sending the Turkish lira (TRY) plunging. The lira lost about 40% of its value against the US dollar.

Following the news, the embattled currency dropped more than TRY 6.21.