| Dear Robert, It has been a challenge to find any justification for Pastor Artur's mistreatment at the hands of police and public health authorities throughout the COVID crisis. During Alberta's lockdowns, the maverick pastor bravely defied unconstitutional health restrictions by fulfilling his pastoral duties to open his church, preach the word of God, and help the less fortunate. But two years in, he's already seen the inside of a jail cell five times for his transgressions. His most recent arrest was at his home on February 8, shortly after he delivered a speech to truckers protesting vaccine mandates at the Coutts, Alberta, border blockade. He has been in custody ever since and is facing charges under Alberta's Critical Infrastructure Defence Act — the first man in Canadian history to be charged under the Act. In my conversation with Pastor Artur from his jail cell, he indicated the government considered his speech to the truckers a crime against the state. I was in Milk River where he provided a parallel speech to blockade supporters, before he entered Coutts to speak directly to the truckers. He left soon after his speech and planned on returning to Coutts in the days ahead, but as he attempted to do so, he was arrested. When we interviewed him in Milk River, we did not expect this would be our last interview before his arrest. Did his speech warrant such a dramatic police response? Click here to watch and judge for yourself. 
During my time in Coutts, I never heard anyone mention Pastor Artur. He was there for one day to give a speech and then left. He was never mentioned, never invited, never part of any planning within the group. But since Pastor Artur became an enemy of the state, the authorities have used any reason, no matter how trivial, to lock him up and shut him up. Pastor Artur's lawyers are fighting tirelessly to free him — please go to SaveArtur.com to help crowdfund Pastor Artur's legal defence. His next court appearance is on March 11, when his lawyers will have another opportunity to advocate for his release. We'll stay on top of this story and be sure to keep you updated as things evolve. In the meantime, please help Pastor Artur by clicking here. Your donation will go directly to the lawyers fighting to set Pastor Artur free and will qualify for a charitable tax receipt through The Democracy Fund, a registered Canadian charity. Yours truly, Sydney Fizzard P.S. Defending Pastor Artur against the state's unlimited resources is impossible without the help of some of the best lawyers in the country. If you can, please chip in to help cover Pastor Artur's legal fees. He's in the fight of his life and needs all the help he can get. Please click here or go to SaveArtur.com to donate. | 
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