Lindsay inmate ‘was alive before his interaction with prison guards:’ lawyer

Soleiman Faqiri “was alive before his interaction with prison guards,” lawyer Nader Hasan told CityNews on Monday.

Faqiri, 30, died while in restraints in a segregation cell at the Central East Correctional Centre in Lindsay on Dec. 15, 2016. The coroner’s office is investigating his death, as are the Kawartha Lakes police department and the Ministry of Correctional Services.

Kawartha Lakes police said Monday that Faqiri was involved in a physical altercation with “multiple” guards, and that “use of force” was applied.

“He was dead after they used force. So it is directly the reason, the cause for his death,” Hasan alleged.

Police are acknowledging that this force “played a role, if not the decisive role, in his death.”

The cause of death, beyond “use of force,” has not been determined.

Hasan is calling on police to lay charges and said he is “baffled” by the delay. If no charges are laid, Hasan said, he will be calling for an inquiry, and an independent investigation from Ontario Provincial Police.

Faqiri’s family said he was waiting for a bail hearing when he died. He was accused of two counts of aggravated assault, one count of assault and another count of uttering death threats.

The family said he was a former star athlete and straight-A student suffered from paranoid schizophrenia. He was diagnosed 11 years ago, in his first year of studies at the University of Waterloo.

“That would change the trajectory of his life. What it didn’t change was his character – his ability to connect with people. The light that he espoused … it increased,” his brother Yusuf said last month.

“He had this grin, this smile. He would walk into the room, you would really know how lucky you were because he was the epitome of simplicity. He appreciated the small things in life. He would make you grateful for what you had.”