Mercedes Perez is representing the Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario at the Coroner’s inquest into the death of Soleiman Faqiri. The inquest is being held virtually, began today and is scheduled for 15 days. It is being streamed live daily through this link.
Mr. Faqiri died at the Central East Correctional Centre in Lindsay, Ontario on December 15, 2016 after being held in isolation in a segregation unit for 11 days. He was experiencing a severe mental health crisis and awaiting a court ordered mental health assessment. His death occurred minutes after an incident during which multiple correctional officers physically assaulted and restrained him and ultimately left him alone in a cell handcuffed, shackled, pepper sprayed, forced into a spit hood, and lying prone. No correctional staff were ever charged criminally in Mr. Faqiri’s death.
The CMHA Ontario is a non-profit charitable organization that provides leadership and collaboration in the ongoing development and improvement of Ontario’s mental health and addiction systems. CMHA Ontario promotes equitable access to mental health services and the reduction of mental health disparities. CMHA local branches across Ontario provide community-based mental health and addiction services including crisis response, case management, counselling, treatment, support, safe bed services and supportive housing.
Media coverage of Mr. Faqiri’s death and the Faqiri Inquest can be found at the following links:
CBC News, Deadly Restraint: https://newsinteractives.cbc.ca/longform/soleiman-faqiri-jail-death/
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/soleiman-faqiri-video-inquest-1.7033938
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/soleiman-faqiri-inquest-1.6848760
https://toronto.citynews.ca/2020/08/06/opp-investigation-soleiman-faqiri/
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/soleiman-faqiri-no-charges-organizations-support-1.5687539
https://broadview.org/soleiman-faqiri/
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/11/8/no-answers-a-year-after-soleiman-faqiri-prison-death