Family in Canada Waiting for Father's Body, Russian Body Sent

How surprised Meriam Jarjour, the deceased's daughter, was when she received the coffin sent from Cuba. The coffin should contain the body of Faraj Allah Jarjour's father. However, when the coffin was opened, it contained someone else's body.

"My family is already grieving because my father passed away suddenly. Now we have this additional challenge. Where is my father's body?" said Meriam to Canada's CBC media on Monday (23/4/2024).

Faraj passed away due to a heart attack while swimming with Meriam in the ocean near Varadero, where they were vacationing in Cuba on April 22, 2024. Meriam stated that due to the lack of medical facilities, Faraj's body had to be placed and covered on a bench on the local beach.

After waiting for more than eight hours, a car finally arrived to transport Faraj's body to Havana, the capital of Cuba. Varadero is approximately 145 kilometers east of Havana.

After Faraj's body was transported by the car, it is not clear what happened next.

After Faraj's body was transported by the car, it is not clear what happened next.

Meriam stated that she followed the instructions directed by the Canadian Consulate. She has spent CAD 10,000 or USD 7,300 (equivalent to IDR 118 million) for the transportation of her father's body back to Canada.

The Canadian Consulate assisted in the return of Fajar's body to the Jarjour family in Laval, Quebec Province. They use the services of a company called Asistur.

Faraj was a man of Syrian descent who was 67 years old when he died. He was rather fat and had a bald head.

The body that was found by the family in their coffin had a completely different appearance from Faraj's. It was a man from Russia, in his 40s, with thick hair and full of tattoos.

"Whose corpse is this? How could a mix-up like this happen?" Meriam wondered. "To be honest, I am devastated. Until now, we haven't received any answers. We continue to wait. I don't know what else to say."

The Canadian Consulate was also confused. They asked Asistur to be responsible, who had been paid 10,000 Canadian dollars to repatriate Faraj's body.

Meriam said that she also sent an email to several Canadian government officials reporting her issues, including a member of parliament who promised to convey them to Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly.

Meriam described his late father as an active man who did not smoke or drink alcohol. "(The deceased) was always smiling," he recalled.

Meriam added that due to the uncertainty of her father's body, her mother is truly exhausted. Together with her sister, while overcoming deep grief, Meriam continues to try to find answers from government officials who seem to avoid responsibility.

The material losses suffered by the Jarjour family are not small. For this matter, they have spent 25,000 Canadian dollars (almost Rp 300 million), including a funeral cost of 15,000 Canadian dollars (Rp 177 million). As Faraj's body has not been found yet, the funeral has been delayed indefinitely.

Global Affairs Canada, the Canadian Government agency responsible for diplomatic and consular relations, stated in an email that Canadian consular officials are currently working with Cuban authorities to resolve the issue.

However, until now Meriam feels that there is still no clear solution. She hopes that Minister Joly personally intervenes to pressure the Cuban authorities. "What I hope for is someone who can help find my father," she said. (AP)

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