Canadian Christian pastor Artur Pawlowski was arrested by customs officials Monday for offenses said to have occurred months ago upon returning home to Calgary from a tour of the United States.
Video of the arrest filmed from inside a private plane and posted on Pawlowskiâs YouTube channel shows a border guard handcuff Pawlowski only inches away from the planeâs wing and escort him away.
According to a Rebel News report, Pawlowski was arrested on two charges, one related to a âcourt orderâ and the other for not âwearing a mask.â The charges stem from offenses said to have occurred in March and June of this year.
After being taken by border officials, Pawlowski was then handed over to the Calgary Police Service, where he was processed, searched, and placed in a holding cell.
Late Monday night, Pawlowski was let out on bail, according to attorney Sarah Miller, as reported by CTV.Â
Pawlowski said his arrest was âabsolutely sickeningâ and that he has ânever skipped bailâ or âa court.â
âEverything they are doing to me, it symbolizes the tyranny of the Liberal and Conservative government, (Jason) Kenneyâs government. Kenney has become a tyrant, thatâs what he is,â Pawlowski said in a report from Rebel News.
Pawlowski landed at the Executive Flight Centre in Calgary on Monday afternoon, and there were many from his church awaiting his arrival. They never got to see him.
LifeSiteNews contacted Pawlowski for comment, but as of press time he has not been able to reply.
A video posted by Rebel News of the arrest includes an added part with a prerecorded message from Pawlowski, where he says, âIf youâre watching this video right now that means I am in jail and they successfully arrested me.â
âI donât know what is going to happen to me, I donât know what is happening outside, but I hope that you are still with me and you are willing to support me to get me out of this terrible hard situation,â Pawlowski said.
âPlease pray for me, please support if you can, and may God bless you for everything you are doing to help me to get out there and be the light in this dark world.â
On Sunday, Pawlowski mentioned on his social media channels that he was returning home on Monday afternoon. He shared the fact he was flying via a private airplane.
Pawlowski spent the better part of July, August and September in America on hisâŻCourageous Faith tour, telling the crowds about his ordeals with police and health officials who targeted him for not following local COVID rules.
Pawlowski made international headlines after being arrested in aâŻhighway takedownâŻin May for holding worship servicesâŻatâŻhisâŻCalgary churchâŻamidâŻCOVIDâŻlockdowns. His brother,âŻDawid,âŻwas also arrested.
The pair served three nights in jail until they were letâŻgo after postingâŻbail.
In mid-September, Pawlowski appeared virtually in court to argue against a pending jail sentence. He told a judge that he stood before the court as a âpolitical prisoner of conscience.â
At the September hearing, AHS lawyer John Siddons argued that in addition to a 21-day jail sentence, Pawlowski should be fined $2,000 and pay $15,000 in costs. Siddons also recommended Dawid face a 10-day jail sentence.
The court is adjourned until October 13, at which time a judgeâŻwill give his final ruling.
In June, a judge ruled that Alberta Health Services (AHS) had provedâŻthat the brothers were guilty âbeyond a reasonable doubt of contemptâ of court. This came after the brothers earlier breachedâŻan injunction orderâŻagainst themâŻthatâŻsaid they would go to jail if they held church services.
In July AHS asked the courtâŻfor aâŻ21-dayâŻjail sentenceâŻagainstâŻPawlowskiâŻforâŻâopenlyâ flaunting COVID rules after holding worship services atâŻhisâŻCave ofâŻAdullamâŻchurch located in Calgary in the spring of 2021.
In the spring of 2021,âŻPawlowskiâŻmadeâŻinternationalâŻheadlines for calling police and health inspectorsâŻmakingâŻtwoâŻunannounced health visitsâŻto his churchâŻâGestapo Nazis.â
At the time, churches in Alberta were under strict capacity limits.
Section 176 of the Criminal Code of CanadaâŻmakes it a crimeâŻto interrupt a church serviceâŻand alsoâŻto arrest an âan officiantâ when they are returning home from service.
Alberta has now again reinstated capacity limits on churches to one-third occupancy and has also mandated mask-wearing and physical distancing rules.
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney recently introduced a vaccine passport system in the province, despite earlier saying he would not do so.