Soleiman Faqiri’s family demands Ontario government apology following jail death, inquest

Family members of a man who was in the throes of a mental health crisis when he died at the hands of guards inside an Ontario correctional facility in 2016 say they are still waiting for an apology from provincial officials and for recommendations of a coroner’s inquest into his death to be implemented.

Yusuf Faqiri said at a news conference Monday it has been nine years since his brother, Soleiman Faqiri, died and two years since a coroner’s inquest deemed his death a homicide and made 57 recommendations to prevent something similar from happening again.

“Not once has the Ontario government reached out to my family to engage with us with respect to this tragedy,” Faqiri said.

“Not once have they spoken to us.”

Soleiman, who suffered from schizoaffective disorder — a combination of schizophrenic and bipolar symptoms — was taken into custody on Dec. 4, 2016, after allegedly stabbing a neighbour during what his family has said was a psychotic episode. 

Less than two weeks later, he was dead. 

The 30-year-old was awaiting a mental health assessment at the Central East Correctional Centre, near Lindsay, Ont., when he died face down on a cell floor after guards punched and struck him repeatedly, pepper sprayed him twice, covered him with a spit hood and left him shackled.

Apology long overdue, Opposition MPP says

Speaking at the same news conference Monday, NDP MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam said the province issuing a public apology and acting on the results of the inquest is long overdue.

“His death was a systemic failure of Ontario’s correction and mental health systems,” Wong-Tam said. “No one should have to endure what they have endured.”

When asked about the situation at a separate, unrelated news conference Monday, Premier Doug Ford said that his “heart goes out to the family.”

WATCH | CBC Toronto’s Shanifa Nasser breaks down what the public learned from the coroner’s inquest:

What we learned at the inquest into Soleiman Faqiri’s death

WARNING: This video contains graphic footage. Soleiman Faqiri died at the Central East Correctional Centre in Lindsay, Ont., after he was repeatedly struck by guards, pepper-sprayed twice, covered with a spit hood and placed on his stomach on the floor of a segregation cell. Shanifa Nasser explains what jurors were told at an inquest into the 30-year-old’s death.

“Anyone passes away, no matter if they’re in a correctional facility or not, no one should lose their life,” Ford said, adding that the province is making sure that anyone working in corrections who doesn’t act professionally will be “held accountable.”

Ford also said the province’s Ministry of the Solicitor General is acting on the inquest’s recommendations already, though he did not provide specifics and then pivoted to talking about how the province plans to build more correctional facilities. 

“At the end of the day, stay out of the jails,” Ford said. “Stop breaking the laws and you won’t have anything to worry about.”

Yusuf Faqiri called Ford’s response tone deaf.

“What about somebody who suffers from mental health challenges or bipolar disorder? Should their mental health challenges be a death sentence?” he asked.

“People with mental health challenges are not criminals. These are human beings, these are Ontarians that are vulnerable that need support.”

A spokesperson for the Ministry of the Solicitor General responded to questions about Faqiri’s death with a statement that was word-for-word the same as a previous one provided in May of this year.

Saddam Khussain said the government has made “record investments” into Ontario’s corrections system, including $500 million to update and build facilities and hire staff.

“We have also established a new Health Services Division to ensure those in custody receive the care they need including support with mental health and addiction issues delivered by social workers, nurse practitioners, mental health nurses and addictions counsellors,” Khussain said.

Dozens of recommendations made at inquest

The long-awaited inquest into Faqiri’s death took place in late 2023 and pulled back the curtain on what was described to jurors as a broken system, plagued by a lack of training and staff, tensions around different layers of management and an overreliance on segregation.

Despite the coroner’s inquest deeming his death a homicide and finding guards carried out 60 policy breaches in connection with his death, no criminal charges have been laid. 

All of the 57 recommendations made by coroner’s jury are aimed at Ontario government. The top five recommendations include: 

• Develop a public position statement within 60 days recognizing that jails are not the appropriate environment for those with significant mental health issues.
• Take immediate steps to make sure anyone suffering an acute mental health crisis in custody is admitted to hospital for assessment and, where appropriate, treatment.
• Adopt a principle of equivalence so that those in custody receive equal quality health care as they would outside.
• Develop a committee to ensure the inquest’s recommendations are properly considered and any responses fully reported on.
• Establish an independent provincial corrections inspectorate.