Wellness Within Stands with Soleiman Faqiri

Aug 17, 2021Wellness Within stands in solidarity with the family of Soleiman Faqiri as they demand justice in the wake of a long overdue report from Ontario’s chief pathologist. The report, issued 5 years after Soleiman’s violent death in an Ontario prison, states that he died as a result of being beaten by guards while being restrained as he lay on his front on the floor of his cell. Soleiman was 30 years old when he was killed. He was living with schizophrenia.

We demand that the guards involved in Soleiman’s death be held accountable for their actions.

We demand an end to all forms of violence against people in prisons. We call on Ontario’s premier, Doug Ford, to make an official apology to Soleiman’s family.

Mental illness rates are 5 to 7 times higher in prisons than in the community, according to the Center for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). Rather than criminalizing people with mental illness, we must support them with adequate housing and professional and financial supports so that they can thrive in our communities. We call for an end to the imprisonment of people living with mental illness as a step towards the ultimate goal of prison abolition.

Wellness Within is a registered non-profit organization working for reproductive justice, prison abolition, and health equity in K’jipuktuk, Mi’kma’ki (Halifax, Nova Scotia).

Contact: Martha Paynter, Chair. 902-292-7082, martha.paynter@gmail.com