A man serving time for a fatal 2016 hit-and-run that killed a 25-year-old Burnaby woman has launched a human rights complaint after prison staff allegedly videoed him in his cell without his knowledge.
Ibrahim Ali pleaded guilty in October 2016 to dangerous driving causing death and failure to stop at an accident causing bodily harm for his part in the death of Emily Sheane, who was killed near BCIT on March 9, 2016, after her small car was T-boned by a Range Rover that ran a red light.
Ali, the driver, and a female passenger fled the scene and were arrested several days later in Creston, B.C.
He was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in jail, minus 135 days credit for time served.
While he was at the North Fraser Pretrial Centre in March 2016, he was put in a cell equipped with an overhead closed-circuit television camera, according to B.C. Human Rights Tribunal documents.
The live-feed video from the cell was displayed on a large monitor in an area staffed by male and female staff, according to Ali’s complaint.
He alleges nobody informed him of the video monitoring and recording.
In the first week of October 2016, he was placed in a segregation unit equipped with a digital video recorder that allowed male and female operators to change the camera position and zoom in on him and see him undressed, including when he was showering.
In mid‐October 2016, Ali was moved to an isolation unit and subjected to 24‐hour video surveillance in his cell and the shower area, according to his complaint.
As with the other video recording, Ali submits the filming happened without his knowledge that both male and female corrections officers operated the cameras showing him naked.
“When he found out about it, he felt angry, disgusted and violated by the invasion of his privacy. He alleges sex discrimination because female inmates are not subjected to this type of video surveillance by male corrections officers,” states a ruling by tribunal member Steven Adamson issued Thursday.
Adamson ruled to accept Ali’s complaint for filing even though it wasn’t submitted within the six-month time limit.
Ali argued he hadn’t found out about the video surveillance until June 17, 2017. He filed his complaint on July 11, 2017.
“Mr. Ali submits that denying him the means of remedy when he was unaware of the discrimination until six months after it took place would not further the purposes of the Code.”
Adamson agreed, and ruled the complaint should be accepted.
Adamson noted he was only ruling on the timeliness of the complaint and made no findings of
fact regarding its merits.
This isn’t the first time Ali has gone to court over incidents in custody.
He has also filed suits against the province for a July 2010 assault at the North Fraser Pretrial Centre and the federal government for an April 2012 assault at the Pacific Institution, according to the Vancouver Sun.
