Father's Body Who Died in Cuba Arrived in Canada... Family Says "This Is Not Our Dad?"

Changed Corpse Identity Not Confirmed
"Investigation Underway to Uncover the Truth of the Incident"

The Cuban government sent the wrong body to the family of a Canadian who died at a seaside resort in Cuba.

Father's Body Who Died in Cuba Arrived in Canada... Family Says "This Is Not Our Dad?"

A photo capturing the late Paraz Jarju's appearance. [Image source=CBC broadcast screen capture]

On the 24th (local time), Canadian broadcaster CBC reported that last month, Paraz Zarju (68), a Canadian citizen, died while swimming in the sea in Varadero, a famous beach city in Cuba. The family was preparing to hold a funeral at their home in Quebec and proceeded with the repatriation process of the body. They spent 10,000 Canadian dollars (about 10 million KRW) and received consular services from Canada.

However, the coffin that arrived on the 22nd contained a person they had never seen before. This body appeared to have thick hair and tattoos, and looked about twenty years younger than the deceased. The appearance was clearly different from the deceased at a glance. The deceased’s daughter said after seeing the body, "It was not my father." When the issue arose, Canadian authorities immediately contacted Cuba and urged a thorough investigation. The identity of the delivered body has not been revealed.

CBC quoted Zarju’s family saying, "We still do not know where (Zarju’s) body is, and there is speculation that the wrongly transported body was originally from Russia, but it is unclear who it is," adding, "At least two families are suffering because of this incident."

Melanie Joly, Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, wrote on X (formerly Twitter), "We have shared our concerns with Cuba regarding the unimaginable situation faced by Zarju’s family," and emphasized, "We will continue to support the family until the situation is resolved." Bruno Rodriguez, Cuba’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, also expressed regret on his X, saying, "An investigation is underway to clarify the facts of this unfortunate incident," and "We offer our sincere condolences and apologies to the deceased’s family and relatives."