Unascertained

TVO Podcasts
  • 0.0 (0)
  • TRUE CRIME
  • SERIES
Unascertained

On December 15, 2016, Soleiman Faqiri was found dead in his cell after an altercation with a group of correctional officers. After suffering a schizophrenic episode, the 30-year-old was awaiting a pre-trial mental health assessment at a Lindsay Ontario jail. He was pepper sprayed, shackled, and wore a spit hood. But there was no footage of what went on inside his segregation cell that day. “Unascertained” pieces together the timeline of Soleiman’s death and what really happened when guards entered the room. It’s a story of a family’s loss, mental health failures in the prison system, and a search for justice. A six-part series from TVO Podcasts. Hosted by Yusuf Zine. 

  1. EPISODE 1

    The Eleventh Day

    Part I: Soleiman Faqiri was a 30-year-old Canadian, born in Afghanistan, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia. On December 15th, 2016, he was found dead in a segregation cell at the Central East Correctional Centre in Lindsay, Ontario, after a struggle with correctional officers. What happened in that cell has led his family on a years-long search for answers. Clips courtesy of CityNews and Global News Donate to TVO: http://tvo.org/give See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    34 min

  2. EPISODE 2

    The Cruel and Usual

    Part II: Anthony Ouellette was an inmate at the Lindsay jail in 2016. He watched as Soleiman Faqiri's mental health slowly deteriorated during the 11 days he was kept in segregation, and desperately tried to get him help. Ouellette shares the shocking details of what he saw during that time, and how on the eleventh day, he came back to his cell to find out that Soleiman had died. Clips courtesy of CityNews and CBC News Donate to TVO: http://tvo.org/give See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    34 min

  3. EPISODE 3

    The Post-mortem

    Part III: A ten-month long investigation by the Kawartha Lakes Police Service concluded there were no grounds to lay charges in Soleiman Faqiri's death. But for lawyers Nader Hasan and Ted Marrocco, who represent the Faqiri family, that wasn't good enough. They wanted to know what evidence had been collected and who the police interviewed. They became suspicious that they weren't being told the full story. Metro Morning with Matt Galloway interview courtesy of CBC Licensing Donate to TVO: http://tvo.org/give See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    44 min

  4. EPISODE 4

    The Last Stop

    Part IV: Apart from the correctional staff at the jail, it turns out there was someone else there the day Soleiman Faqiri died. Someone who says he saw everything. Host Yusuf Zine speaks to that eyewitness, who shares new jarring details of what he saw happen in that cell. Audio clips courtesy The Evan Solomon Show, CBC Ontario Morning, Global News, and the Ontario Ombudsman Background reading: Ontario Ombudsman report - The Code Donate to TVO: http://tvo.org/give See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    43 min

  5. EPISODE 5

    The Code of Silence

    Part V: There are no witness statements from any correctional officers involved in Soleiman's case that have been made public. And that comes as no surprise to former correctional officer Iosko Assenov. Since leaving his profession as a guard, he has become a whistleblower speaking out against racism, harassment and 'the code of silence' in Ontario's prisons. Yusuf Zine walks through Soleiman's death with Iosko to try to make sense of what we know so far. News clips courtesy CBC News, The Evan Solomon Show and Global News Donate to TVO: http://tvo.org/give See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    40 min

  6. EPISODE 6

    The Fatal Blow

    Part VI: A new revelation in the case has been released to the public, and it may be the last piece of the puzzle. In the 6th part of Unascertained, Yusuf Zine takes a close look at just what happened in that cell on December 15, 2016 as he tries to finally determine: what happened to Soleiman Faqiri? Clips courtesy of Global News, CityNews, TVNZ and CTV. Donate to TVO: http://tvo.org/give See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    48 min

  7. EPISODE 7

    The Aftermath

    Part VII: Shortly before the release of what was meant to be the final episode of the series, a former correctional officer at the Central East Correctional Centre reached out to the team with startling information. In the bonus 7th episode of Unascertained, host Yusuf Zine hears his side of the story. And, a stunning turn of events regarding Soleiman Faqiri's post-mortem report. Donate to TVO: http://tvo.org/give See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    28 min

  8. EPISODE 8

    The Heat of the Moment

    Part VIII: In the final chapter, two people at the heart of Soleiman's case who have never spoken publicly provide new details. And, after years, an updated post-mortem report reveals shocking answers to the question: how did Soleiman Faqiri die? Through our variety of podcast programming, TVO is committed to helping the people of Ontario better understand our world. If you believe in TVO’s journalism and have been enjoying our podcast offering, consider making a donation at http://tvo.org/give See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    44 min
See All (14)

Trailer

Hosts & Guests

About

On December 15, 2016, Soleiman Faqiri was found dead in his cell after an altercation with a group of correctional officers. After suffering a schizophrenic episode, the 30-year-old was awaiting a pre-trial mental health assessment at a Lindsay Ontario jail. He was pepper sprayed, shackled, and wore a spit hood. But there was no footage of what went on inside his segregation cell that day. “Unascertained” pieces together the timeline of Soleiman’s death and what really happened when guards entered the room. It’s a story of a family’s loss, mental health failures in the prison system, and a search for justice. A six-part series from TVO Podcasts. Hosted by Yusuf Zine. 

Information

More From TVO Podcasts

You Might Also Like

To listen to explicit episodes, sign in.

Stay up to date with this show

Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes and get the latest updates.
Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

The United States and Canada