Polish-Canadian Pastor Artur Pawlowski scored a massive victory against COVID authoritarianism!
The Alberta Appeals Court overturned Pawlowski’s conviction, sentence, censorship, and fines.
The panel of “Justice Barbara Lea Veldhuis, Justice Michelle Crighton and Justice Jo’ Anne Strekaf ordered Alberta Health Services to reimburse Artur Pawlowski and his brother, Dawid, for the costs of their appeal and the return of any fines and penalties paid,” Rebel News reported.
“The appeals panel concluded the original injunction banning protests in the name of public health ‘was not sufficiently clear and unambiguous.'”
“Therefore, the Alberta Court of Appeal ruled that the injunction against him, his arrest, his jail time, the censorship order and fines against him were illegal,” True North noted.
2. Kenney — and his disgraceful justice & health ministers — spent millions of dollars hounding Pastor Artur and his brother Dawid. Kenney set the precedent for Justin Trudeau's political persecution of Tamara Lich.
Today the Court of Appeal ruled it was an illegal vendetta.
— Ezra Levant 🍁🚛 (@ezralevant) July 22, 2022
4. Remember this shocking, SWAT-team take down of Pastor Artur and his brother Dawid, like they were drug kingpins? Illegal. The @CalgaryPolice are an international disgrace. If their chief had any moral fiber, he’d resign. pic.twitter.com/RZ913cQns3
— Ezra Levant 🍁🚛 (@ezralevant) July 22, 2022
6. I'm going into the studio for an emergency livestream broadcast on this subject at 2 p.m. ET. Please join in. We'll go through the entire ruling; we'll interview our reporters out west; we'll get some of Artur's lawyers on the line; and hopefully we'll talk to the man himself!
— Ezra Levant 🍁🚛 (@ezralevant) July 22, 2022
Per Rebel News:
The judgement released Friday morning read:
“The Pawlowskis’ appeals are allowed. The finding of contempt and the sanction order are set aside. The fines that have been paid by them are to be reimbursed. “
The chambers judge awarded costs to AHS payable by the Pawlowskis jointly in the amount of $15,733.50, calculated at 2.5 times column 1. 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”
Calgary pastor Art Pawlowski and his brother, Dawid, were both arrested and imprisoned after being found in contempt of an ex-parte court order obtained by Alberta Health Services restraining “illegal public gatherings.”
The original finding of contempt by Justice Adam Germain included a sanction that required the Pawlowkis and Chris Scott, the owner of the Whistlestop Cafe in Mirror Alberta, also named in the first restraining order to denounce themselves and their views on covid before expressing their own opinions publicly:
I am also 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 favour 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.
“In early May 2021, Pastor Artur Pawlowski of the Street Church in Alberta, Canada was arrested and charged with organizing an “illegal in-person gathering” and “requesting, inciting or inviting others” to join the gathering,” LifeNews noted.
“His crime? Holding a church service in defiance of the Canadian COVID lockdown. And he faces 4 years in prison as a result of the service.”
Twitter users celebrated the legal victory for Pawlowski:
BREAKING: Pastor Art Pawlowksi’s contempt conviction set aside on appeal
The Alberta Court of Appeal ruled that the injunction against him, his arrest, his jail time, the censorship order and fines against him were illegal.https://t.co/Skq6GZdMra
— Rebel News Canada (@RebelNews_CA) July 22, 2022
BREAKING: Alberta Appeals Court overturns Pastor Pawlowski’s conviction, sentence, censorship and fines! Rules that these violated the Canadian Charter of Rights.
Big win against the Lockdown Authoritarianism in Canada! https://t.co/yQBN5VykpO
— Defeat The Mandates (@dchomecoming) July 22, 2022
BREAKING: Court Rules Pastor Artur Pawlowski Wrongfully Jailed for Defying COVID Lockdown to Hold Church Service https://t.co/QJeKs5Pyzd pic.twitter.com/HMWFDwQXPJ
— LifeNews.com (@LifeNewsHQ) July 22, 2022
This is a victory for free speech, freedom of religion, and civil liberties in Canada.
Pastor Artur Pawlowski is free. The Alberta Court rules that his prosecution and unfair treatment are illegal.
Important win for Canada.
READ MORE ⬇️https://t.co/zgX98xQfS5
— William Diaz-Berthiaume (@wdiazberthiaume) July 22, 2022
The Alberta Court of Appeals has ruled in favour of Pastor Artur Pawlowski who was arrested, jailed and fined for continuing to preach in breach of Alberta’s Covid-19 lockdowns. #abpoli https://t.co/qgnOBEpw1V
— True North (@TrueNorthCentre) July 22, 2022
True North added:
Throughout the pandemic, Pawlowski continued to hold church services in defiance of a court order and was repeatedly arrested — including on the Calgary highway and on the tarmac of the Calgary International Airport.
During a 20-minute speech to Freedom Convoy truckers on February 3 in Coutts, Pawlowski urged demonstrators to “hold the line” against government overreach without resorting to violence. The truckers were protesting federal Covid-19 vaccine mandates, specifically a mandate that required cross-border truckers to be vaccinated. The group asked Pawlowski to preach while they protested along Alberta’s border with Montana.
Following his speech, the pastor was arrested on February 7 for the fifth time since the beginning of the pandemic, according to Fox News.
Before Calgary police apprehended him at his home, Pawlowski was planning to officiate another church service for the border protesters.
The Crown prosecutor argued that Pawlowski issued “an overt threat to violence,” an allegation echoed by Alberta Premier Jason Kenney. According to a video of his remarks, the pastor repeatedly told the truckers not to resort to violence during their protests.
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