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Garo Paylan, an Armenian member of the Turkish parliament representing the opposition People's Democratic Party (HDP), has slammed the decision of the Turkish court to extend the detention of U.S. pastor Andrew Brunson.

Brunson, a 50-year-old missionary from North Carolina, has denied espionage and collusion with terrorist organizations charges since being detained in 2016 following accusations he helped insurgents behind a coup in the country that year. He faces up to 35 years in prison.

In a post on Twitter, the lawmaker voices concerns that the American cleric, who is held as hostage in the country as confessed by Turkish President Erdogan, has not been set free after all, Ermenihaber reports.

“Erdogan, who thinks that through Deniz Yucel (a German-Turkish journalist detained by Ankara), he managed to bring Germany to knees, continues its hostage policies,” he wrote.

“It is a disgrace that the presidential office uses a pastor in its dirty deals.”

According to some talks, Turkey seeks the extradition of cleric Fethullah Gulen, who Ankara believes was the mastermind of the 2016 failed coup attempt, in exchange for the release of pastor Andrew Brunson.