Quebec Family’s Search for Father’s Remains After Wrong Body Returned from Cuba
A family in Quebec is facing a nightmare after discovering that their father’s remains did not make it to Canada from Cuba, where he died while on vacation, and they instead received the remains of another man.
Funerals for Faraj Allah Jarjour were scheduled for the weekend, but instead, his daughter Miriam Jarjour has been desperately contacting officials, trying to find his body.
“Up until now we have no answers,” Jarjour said. “Where is my father?”
According to Jarjour, her 68-year-old father was swimming with her in the ocean near Varadero, Cuba, during a family vacation on March 22 when he suddenly had a heart attack and died. Due to the lack of nearby medical facilities, his body was left covered on a beach chair in the hot sun for more than eight hours before being transported to Havana.
After that, the whereabouts of her father’s remains became unclear.
Jarjour followed the instructions given to her by the Canadian consulate and paid $10,000 Canadian to have his body returned home. However, the casket that arrived contained the body of a Russian man who was at least 20 years younger than her father, had a full head of hair, and had tattoos – unlike her father.
The stranger’s body has since been sent to his country, but Jarjour and her family have no idea where her father is.
When Jarjour contacted Canadian consular authorities in Cuba, they blamed the Cuban company responsible for coordinating the return of remains. She has since reached out to other government officials, including her Member of Parliament, who has agreed to contact Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly.
“I’m honestly destroyed,” Jarjour said. “We’re waiting for answers. I don’t know what to tell you.”
Jarjour described her father as an active man who didn’t smoke or drink. The Syrian-born family man was “always smiling,” she said. The ordeal has left her mother exhausted, and she and her brother are struggling to cope with their grief while seeking answers from authorities who seem to deny responsibility.
So far, the family has spent $25,000 Canadian, including $15,000 for funeral services that have been put on hold.
Global Affairs Canada has stated that consular officials are working with Cuban authorities and the family to resolve the issue. However, Jarjour is not satisfied with the progress and is hoping that Joly will personally intervene to pressure Cuban authorities.
“What I want is someone to help me find my father,” she said.
