Persecuted Canadian Pastor Scores Huge Legal Victory

Artur Pawlowski, the Canadian preacher who has repeatedly made headlines for his defiant stance against COVID-19 restrictions and has faced subsequent arrests, reportedly scored a major legal victory last week.

Ezra Levant, founder of Rebel News, released a Nov. 25 video, announcing that “bizarre and unconstitutional provisions” slapped on Pawlowski, his brother, Dawid, and cafe owner Chris Scott, that restricted both speech and travel have been thrown out—at least for now.

These provisions reportedly required Pawlowski to state the Canadian government’s preferred language and talking points after any COVID-19-related critique he made in public, The Christian Post reported.

“The sanctions against the Pawlowskis, which included compelled speech which forced Artur to read a message on COVID and vaccines personally drafted by Justice [Adam] Germain after any public comments he may make and a travel ban, were so dramatic that we had to act,” wrote Adam Soos of Rebel News.

Rebel News—an outlet that has extensively covered the case—has helped raise money for Pawlowski’s legal expenses and has been an informational hub for events unfolding in and around the battle.

According to The Christian Post, the addendum the preacher was forced to use in public forums and on social media went as follows:

I am aware that the views I am expressing to you on this occasion may not be views held by the majority of medical experts in Alberta. While I may disagree with them, I am obliged to inform you that the majority of medical experts favor social distancing, mask-wearing, and avoiding large crowds to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Most medical experts also support participation in a vaccination program unless, for a valid religious or medical reason, you cannot be vaccinated. Vaccinations have been shown statistically to save lives and to reduce the severity of COVID-19 symptoms.

Sarah Miller, an attorney for Pawlowski, told Soos the Alberta Court of Appeals came to the “right decision” and that Pawlowski’s appeal won’t be heard until June 14 of next year. While that date might seem far away, she said it was expedited and is the nearest date available for the appeal to unfold.

“Those provisions should not be enforced until the appeal is heard,” she said of the previous free speech and travel crackdowns. “Hopefully, the appeal will continue to go well.”

Pawlowski also spoke out about the victory and encouraged people to continue fighting back against crackdowns.

“Keep fighting. Do not lose hope,” he said. “We can turn this entire thing around, but we have to be faithful, we have to be determined, and we have to be willing to pay the cost.”

Here’s an update on the case, featuring interviews with Miller and Pawlowski.

Problems for Pawlowski, who is of Polish descent, began when the pastor declined to abide by government orders precluding him from holding church services during the pandemic, as Faithwire and CBN News have reported.

The preacher was arrested in May for holding worship services and was again taken into custody this fall, when he was apprehended and handcuffed by police on the Tarmac of the Calgary International Airport.

Pawlowski first made headlines, though, in April, when he appeared in a now-viral video kicking health officials and police officers out of his church when they came to enforce government-induced mask mandates.

Watch the video here. {eoa}

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