A Canadian pastor who made headlines in 2021 for chasing health authorities out of his church whilst calling them 'Nazis' and 'Gestapo' has won a legal battle over a breach of Covid restrictions.
Pastor Artur Pawlowski from the Cave of Adullam in Alberta, Canada has been in a legal row with police since May 2021 when he was placed under arrest and later released on an 18 month probation period, for "organising an illegal in-person gathering".
He was charged with contempt for violating Alberta's Covid rules and fined $23,000 for violating health orders.
At the time, Alberta was under strict Covid restrictions which banned large gatherings and required compulsory mask wearing and social distancing.
But a court has now ruled in favour of Pastor Pawlowski and has ordered Alberta's Health Services to refund the fines he paid.
Sarah Miller, the lawyer for Pastor Artur Pawlowsk described the ruling as a "slam dunk win."
"The Court of Appeal made a unanimous, sound decision and overturned the finding of contempt against my client," Miller wrote on Twitter.
The three-judge panel ordered that the "finding of contempt and the sanction order are set aside," and "the fines that have been paid to them are to be reimbursed".
Reacting to the news, Pastor Artur told Rebel News: "I was speechless."
"When I learned that this was a total vindication, I stopped talking."
When asked if he would change any of his action during the Covid restrictions, he said: "Every single thing I did, I did it from the heart and would do it all over again.
"Leave the pastors alone, leave the clergymen alone, leave the Christians alone. This country was built on Judeo-Christian values, the supremacy of God and the rule of law," he continued.
"We're not criminals. Those that did that to us are the criminals. And I hope one day, we will be able to go after the real villains and charge them for the crimes that they have committed."