Statement of Solidarity: Justice for Soleiman Faqiri
Wellness Within stands in solidarity with the Faqiri family as this week marks the beginning of the Inquest into the Death of Soleiman Faqiri. Our hearts go out to the family as they relive the trauma of their loved one’s violent death at the hands of corrections guards. We commend their resilience and stand by them in their fight for truth, justice and accountability. The Faqiri family are tremendous advocates for all Canadians within the Justice System experiencing mental illness.
Soleiman Faqiri was arrested on December 4, 2016 during a psychiatric emergency, and was placed in Central East Correctional Centre in Lindsay, Ontario without being seen by a psychiatrist. Faqiri’s transfer to a mental health facility was delayed because he was deemed “too ill to stand trial”. The correctional centre is where he would spend 11 days, isolated from his family members who were not allowed to visit, before being assaulted and restrained by corrections staff resulting in his death.
Wellness Within is appalled by the lack of accountability shown by the Ontario Provincial Police and the correctional facility where many of these guards are still staff. We are also saddened by the fact that this is not the first or the last time someone experiencing a mental health crisis dies at the hands of law enforcement. Cases like these exemplify repeatedly why law enforcement is not the right response to these situations. Transfer to an appropriate treatment facility should never be withheld or delayed. Over the course of this inquest, we extend our ongoing support to the Faqiri family and join them in the call for greater transparency of information involving the death of those in state care.
Wellness Within is a volunteer-based registered non-profit organization that serves women, transgender, and nonbinary people who have experienced criminalization and are pregnant or have young children in Nova Scotia, part of the unceded and unsurrendered ancestral territory of the Mi’kmaq people.
Wellness Within supports people through the full spectrum of reproductive health experience; facilitates workshops and education sessions; develops resource materials; and advocates for reproductive justice issues.
Contact: Natasha Hines, Incoming Chair, 902-717-2956 or natasha_hines@outlook.com and Dr. Martha Paynter, Director of Research, 902-292-7082 or martha.paynter@gmail.com