Events in seven Canadian cities will remember man killed under government care, continue call for justice

The Jail Killing of Soleiman Faqiri Documentary Screening and Panel Discussion is taking place on Monday, April 8, from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm at Carleton University, MacOdrum Library Discovery Centre, Room 482, in Ottawa, Ontario.

On December 15, 2016, Afghan Canadian Soleiman Faqiri was killed during an altercation with prison guards at the Central East Correctional Centre in Lindsay, Ontario.

Soleiman Faqiri’s stay at the Central East Corrections Centre (CECC) was meant to be a temporary measure, yet it ended up being fatal.

The family of Soleiman Faqiri have launched a petition address to Premier Doug Ford and Michael Tibbolo, Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services seeking justice after Soleiman was beaten to death by staff at the Central East Correctional Centre (CECC) in Lindsay, Ontario. Soleiman was in custody after he was charged with assault, these charges were later dropped.

Yusuf Faqiri has been speaking out as part of the Justice for Soli Campaign over the last year trying to get answers about this brother's death and demanding accounablity on the part of those responsible for it.

The Justice for Soli campaign is crowdfunding to support Soleiman Faqiri's family's legal challenge to fight for justice for their loved one. You can contribute to their crowdfunding campaign on LaunchGood here.

On December 15th 2017, friends and supporters held a vigil at Dundas Square to mark the one year anniversary of Soleiman Faqiri’s death. This vigil was organized to honour and commemorate Soleiman and call for justice, transparency, accountability and most of all reform in Ontario’s correctional services.

The following is a statement from the Justice for Soli coalition after learning that the Kawartha Lakes Police Service will not be pressing charges against those responsible for the death of Soleiman Faqiri.

Readers should know that this is the second time that a Muslim coping with schizophrenia has died after spending time in the Lindsay Detention Centre. The first was Somali refugee Abdurahman Ibrahim Hassan, who died in a Peterborough Hospital. Hassan was under indefinite immigrantion detention at Lindsay. Fellow immigration detention inmates went on hunger strike to demand an inquest into his death.

The following is a statement from the family of Soleiman Faqiri after learning new details surrounding his death.

Afghan Canadian Soleiman Faqiri died in Lindsay Correctional Facility in December 2016. His family wants answers. His brother, Yusuf Faqiri, will be in Ottawa on May 16 to discuss his family's fight for justice.

The Justice For Soli in partnership with Muslim Link and the Criminalization and Punishment Education Project is hosting this event on May 16 at 7pm at the University of Ottawa aimed at engaging people in Soleiman Faqiri's family fight for justice, as well as raising awareness about the crisis within Ontario's correctional facilities, particularly in terms of the treatment of people living with mental illness.

Register to attend the event online here.