Open Letter

 

Dear Premier Ford,

We are writing today to call on the Ontario government to ensure a fair, transparent, and thorough investigation into the death of former Ontario resident Soleiman Faqiri while in government care.

Mr. Faqiri was being held in temporary custody when he was beaten to death by more than a dozen guards at the Central East Correctional Centre in Lindsay, Ontario on December 15, 2016.

Suffering from schizophrenia and waiting for a bed in a mental health facility, Mr. Faqiri was held in solitary confinement and was prevented from receiving visits from his family. A coroner’s report found that almost all of the more than 50 signs of recent injury identified on Faqiri’s body were caused by “blunt impact trauma.”

Following the Coroner’s report, a one-year police investigation by the Kawartha Lakes Police Service found no wrongdoing. A second police investigation was called in January of 2019.

Ontarians need answers as to what really happened to Mr. Faqiri, so that such a tragedy never happens again.

We, the undersigned, along with Mr. Faqiri’s family and over 17,000 supporters are calling on the Government of Ontario to ensure an open, thorough, and transparent investigation. Those responsible for Mr. Faqiri’s death must be held fully accountable for their actions.

 

Name

Sector

Occupation

Kim Pate

Politicians

Canadian Senator

Peter Boehm

Politicians

Canadian Senator

Adelina Iftene

Academics

Law Professor, Dalhousie University

Constance MacIntosh

Academics

Law Professor, Dalhousie University

Dr. Aaron Doyle

Academics

Associate Professor, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Carleton University

Dr. Ameil Joseph

Academics

Assistant Professor, School of Social Work, McMaster University

Dr. Anne-Marie Singh

Academics

Associate Professor, Criminology, Ryerson University

Dr. Aziz Choudry

Academics

Associate Professor, Integrated Studies in Education, McGill University

Dr. Brian Noble

Academics

Associate Professor, Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology, Dalhousie University

Dr. Idris Elbakri

Academics

Assistant Professor, Department of Radiology, University of Manitoba

Dr. Jason Haslam

Academics

Associate Professor, Dalhousie University

Dr. Justin Piché

Academics

Associate Professor, Criminology, University of Ottawa

Dr. Katharina Maier

Academics

Assistant Professor, Department of Criminal Justice, University of Winnipeg

Dr. Lisa Guenther

Academics

Queen’s National Scholar in Political Philosophy and Critical Prison Studies, Queen’s University

Dr. Loren King

Academics

Associate, Professor, Department of Political Science, Wilfrid Laurier University

Dr. Mary LeMaître

Academics

French Professor, Department of Modern Languages and Literatures, University of Winnipeg

Dr. Sabreena Ghaffar-Siddiqui

Academics

Academic and Mental Health Expert

Dr. Shiri Pasternak

Academics

Assistant Professor, Criminology, Ryerson University

Dr. Tammy Landau

Academics

Chair and Associate Professor, Criminology, Ryerson University

Dr. Todd McCallum

Academics

Assistant Professor, Department of History, Dalhousie University

Dr. Yaser Haddara

Academics

Professor, McMaster University

Dr. Zahir Kolia

Academics

Assistant Professor, Criminology, Ryerson University

El Jones

Academics

Professor, Mount Saint Vincent University

Faisal Bhabha

Academics

Associate Professor, Osgoode Law School, Constitutional and Human Rights Lawyer

Jillian Rogin

Academics

Assistant Professor, University of Windsor, Faculty of Law

Laura Kwak

Academics

Assistant Professor, York University

Liam Kennedy

Academics

Assistant Professor of Sociology/Criminology, Western University Canada

Lisa Kerr

Academics

Assistant Professor, Queen’s University, Faculty of Law

Martha Paynter

Academics

Ph.D Candidate, Dalhousie University

Michelle Williams

Academics

Law Professor, Dalhousie University

Rachel da Silva Gorman

Academics

Associate Professor, York University

Sheila Wildeman

Academics

Law Professor, Dalhousie University

Tess Sheldon

Academics

Assistant Professor, University of Windsor, Faculty of Law

Monia Mazigh, Ph.D

Authors

Author and Activist

Robyn Maynard

Authors

Author

Adeena Niazi

Community Leaders and Activists

Executive Director, Afghan Women’s Organization

Ahmad Attia

Community Leaders and Activists

Human Rights Activist

Aminah Sheikh

Community Leaders and Activists

Union Organizer, COPE Ontario

Arif Zia

Community Leaders and Activists

Executive Director (DawaNet)

Bernie M. Farber

Community Leaders and Activists

Human rights consultant

Chris Summerville

Community Leaders and Activists

CEO, Schizophrenia Society of Canada

Cynthia Levine-Rasky, PhD

Community Leaders and Activists

Sociologist

Desmond Cole

Community Leaders and Activists

Journalist and Human Rights Advocate

Devon Spier

Community Leaders and Activists

Rabbinical Student

Farhat Rehman

Community Leaders and Activists

Prisoner Advocate

Hamid Slimi

Community Leaders and Activists

Professor/Imam

Harsha Walia

Community Leaders and Activists

Executive Director, BC Civil Liberties Association

Ibrahim Hindy

Community Leaders and Activists

Imam

Kate Johnson

Community Leaders and Activists

Chaplain, Queen’s University

Maleeha Hamid

Community Leaders and Activists

Social Worker

Mona N. Rahman, PhD

Community Leaders and Activists

Education Coordinator, Islamic Society of Kingston

Muneeb Nasir

Community Leaders and Activists

Imam

Mustafa Farooq

Community Leaders and Activists

Executive Director, National Council of Canadian Muslims

Nadia Hasan

Community Leaders and Activists

Deputy Director, National Council of Canadian Muslims

Ramzy Ajem

Community Leaders and Activists

Teacher & Chaplain

Rashid Mohamed

Community Leaders and Activists

Imam

Sarah Jama

Community Leaders and Activists

Human Rights and Disability Advocate

Shahina Siddiqui

Community Leaders and Activists

Executive Director, Islamic Social Services Association

Sikander Z Hashmi

Community Leaders and Activists

Imam

Taha Ghayyur

Community Leaders and Activists

Not-for-profit management

Tarek Ibrahim

Community Leaders and Activists

Human Rights Activist

Yasin Dwyer

Community Leaders and Activists

Executive Director, Muslim Chaplaincy of Toronto and Former Federal Prison Chaplain

Abdul Basit Khan

Lawyers

Lawyer

Asif Quadir

Lawyers

Lawyer

Asma Bala

Lawyers

Lawyer

Christine Lund

Lawyers

Lawyer

Ebad Rahman

Lawyers

Lawyer

Greg Sacks

Lawyers

Lawyer

Hussein Hamdani

Lawyers

Lawyer

Hussein Hamdani

Lawyers

Lawyer

Ibrahim Danial

Lawyers

Lawyer

Ibrahim Danial

Lawyers

Lawyer

Joshua Bearden

Lawyers

Lawyer

Kofi Achampong

Lawyers

Lawyer

Mihad Fahmy

Lawyers

Lawyer

Muneeza Sheikh

Lawyers

Lawyer

Mustafa Jilani

Lawyers

Lawyer

Nafisah Chaudhry

Lawyers

Lawyer

Naseem Mithoowani

Lawyers

Lawyer

Natalka Falcomer

Lawyers

Lawyer

Paul Champ

Lawyers

Lawyer

Sameer Akhtar

Lawyers

Lawyer

Savannah Gentile

Lawyers

Lawyer

Tess Sheldon

Lawyers

Lawyer

Yusuf Buttar

Lawyers

Lawyer

Zoya Alam

Lawyers

Lawyer

Dr. Ahmed Mian

Physicians

Physician

Dr. Baseer Khan

Physicians

Physician

Dr. Basel Bari

Physicians

Physician

Dr. Durya Ali

Physicians

Physician

Dr. Hany Soliman

Physicians

Physician

Dr. Muhammad Munshi

Physicians

Physician

Dr. Nelab Alingary-Akbari

Physicians

Physician

Dr. Raza Khan

Physicians

Physician

Dr. Ryhana Dawood

Physicians

Physician

Dr. Sohail Makhdoom

Physicians

Physician

Dr. Tarek Loubani

Physicians

Physician

Dr. Umair Minhas

Physicians

Physician

Dr. Yahia Mohammad

Physicians

Physician

Dr.Ahmed farooq

Physicians

Physician

Dr.Aleem Hussain

Physicians

Physician

Dr.Faiz Malam

Physicians

Physician

Dr.Fariha Khan

Physicians

Physician

Dr.Muhammad Ali Furqan

Physicians

Physician

Dr.Nabiha Islam

Physicians

Physician

Dr.Sana Rahman

Physicians

Physician

Dr.Sumairah Syed

Physicians

Physician

Dr.Uzma Chaudhry

Physicians

Physician

Farhan Siddiqui

Physicians

Physician

Mary O’Connor

Physicians

Physician

Shehla Sadiq

Physicians

Physician

 

 

 

About the Movement

Justice for Soli was founded by Soleiman’s eldest brother, Yusuf Faqiri, only one or two days after his brother’s murder in December 2016. In early 2017, the McMaster Muslims for Peace and Justice became the first organization to completely throw its support behind Justice for Soli, transforming what was once a small group of friends and family into a larger social justice movement with hundreds of supporters. Today, over 100 organizations are affiliated with Justice for Soli, supporting the movement in its fight for justice, transparency and accountability.