ALBERTA—Canadian pastor Artur Pawlowski won his appeals case against the Alberta Health Services (AHS) for being fined, arrested, and jailed during Canada’s Covid-19 lockdown for holding church services. Pastor Artur was denied bail and held in solitary confinement at the Calgary Remand Centre, a holding prison for dangerous and violent criminals.
The Alberta Court of Appeal granted Artur Pawlowski and his brother, Dawid Pawlowski, appeals, striking down the contempt and sanction orders against the brothers and requiring the AHS to refund the fines paid by the brothers, Rebel News reported Friday.
“The chambers judge awarded costs to AHS payable by the Pawlowskis jointly in the amount of $15,733.50,” the Canadian Court’s decision stated. “That costs award is set aside and the Pawlowskis are awarded their costs payable by AHS in the proceedings below and in this Court calculated on the same basis.”
Pawlowski told Fox News in April that he suffered abuse from officials while in the Canadian prison. At times he was beaten.
“They were punishing the entire prison because of me. And then they paraded me in front of the inmates, saying, ‘That’s the guy. You’re being punished because of him. So if you have a chance to do something, that’s the villain, that’s the guy,'” Pawlowski told the outlet. “I think that was the scariest time’.”
Thousands of Americans signed a letter to Congress protesting the imprisonment of Pastor Pawlowski, asking the United States Congress to condemn the brutal treatment of this pastor. The Democratic controlled Congress refused to condemn it.
The State of Ohio House of Representatives, however approved a resolution asking the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom to add Canada to its watch list of countries where religious liberties are threatened.
Pastor Artur Pawlowski is not your run-of-the-mill Canadian. He was born and raised in communist Poland and immigrated to Canada as a young man. For many years he has been the pastor of a church in Calgary, Alberta. He is known as an uncompromising Christian who feeds the poor and defends the God-given rights of the Canadian people. Though he attracted the ire of the Canadian authorities for his ongoing exposé of totalitarianism in Canada, Friday’s ruling was a tremendous victory for religious liberty.
It is noteworthy that SDA PARL did nothing to help this man. God provided that his deliverance came from another source. Let us praise the Lord together for this outcome.
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“The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies” (Psalm 18 2-3).