Polish-Canadian Pastor Artur Pawloski has been released after 51 days of detention for allegedly inciting "mischief" and "breaching out peace and order" after he was arrested while addressing the people during the Freedom Convoy.
The street church pastor who leads the Cave of Adullam in Calgary, Alberta, received international media attention for resisting pandemic restrictions, according to Faithwire. He was earlier reported to be arrested several times by the authorities for defying COVID-19 restrictions.
CBC News reported, that Court of Queen's Bench Justice Gaylene Kendall granted Pawloski his bail for his arrest eventually after a judge denied his first pleading on February 9. The court-mandated him to pay $25,000 in bail as well as a $10,000 surety from his wife and an additional $2,000 from his son. His release entailed restrictions keeping him under a curfew of 7p.m to 7 a.m. except when attending church services.
Adams Soos of Rebel News reported that people who gathered on the day of his release has been instructed to leave the vicinity immediately or Police would be arresting Pawloski again. He was also mandated not to speak to anyone or it would lead him back to detention. His family carefully complied with what authorities instructed and leave.
Attorney Sarah Miller said in an interview, that further detention of Pawloski was "unnecessary." She argued that her client was just expressing his point of view on the new and unprecedented situation. It was "so wrong" to detain him for just expressing his support to the crowd of Freedom Convoy.
Miller said, "This is not the full-blown celebratory type situation that we would hope for, because he is under very strict conditions." Though she agreed that "being under strict conditions at home with his family is a far better cry" than being detained behind the bars.
Based also on the report, Artur would also have to wait for the court's agreement to grant him bail on other charges from earlier cases, including opening his church, feeding the homeless, and attending protests allegedly in contravention of COVID-19 restrictions.
In May 2021, according to the Calgary police, he was arrested due to violating the mandatory compliance for public health orders for gatherings, per a court order obtained by Alberta Health Services (AHS).
The service organizer recognized the order, but chose to ignore conditions for social distancing, mask-wearing, and reduced capacity limits for attendees, and continued with the event.
"Artur Pawlowski and Dawid Pawlowski have both been arrested and charged with organizing an illegal in-person gathering, including requesting, inciting, or inviting others to attend an illegal public gathering, promoting and attending an illegal public gathering," Calgary Police stated.
"It is important to understand that law enforcement recognizes people's desire to participate in faith-based gatherings as well as the right to protest. However, as we find ourselves amid a global pandemic, we all must comply with public health orders to ensure everyone's safety and wellbeing," the police added.
