Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
Faraj Jarjour, 68, died on March 22 in Varadero, Cuba during a family vacation.
The family paid $10,000 to have his body returned to Laval, Que. with them. But when they went to identify the father of two, a Russian man about 20 years younger was in the casket.
"I talked by phone with [Minister Mélanie Joly] about unfortunate incident related to the transfer of corpse of Canadian citizen who died in Cuba," wrote Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez on X. "Cuban authorities investigate to clarify incident. I conveyed heartfelt condolences & apologies to relatives and friends of the deceased."
Cuba offers refund to family
The family was devastated after the tragic incident and is still waiting to find out what happened to Jarjour's body.
Joly, Canada's foreign minister, called it an "unimaginable situation" on social media, adding that, "Canada will continue to help the Jarjour family until this situation is resolved."
Global Affairs Canada said it met with the Cuban ambassador Wednesday to discuss the situation.
"We appreciate that Minister Rodriguez has publicly expressed apologies to the family and relatives of this Canadian citizen and agreed to refund the family the cost of the repatriation service," wrote spokesperson Jason Kung in an email to CTV News. "We welcome the Cuban government’s firm commitment to rectify this extremely unfortunate situation as soon as possible. According to an email from spokesperson Jason Kung, as a spokesperson from Global Affairs Canada."
Correction
An earlier version of this story stated that the Canadian government offered the family a refund for the repatriation. In fact, the Cuban government offered the refund.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Canadian border workers vote in favour of possible strike: union
Border workers have voted in favour of a strike mandate which could lead to 'significant disruptions' to the flow of goods, services and people through Canadian ports of entry, their union said Friday morning.
BREAKING Toddler dies after being struck by recycling truck in Barrie, Ont. neighbourhood
A toddler has died after being struck by a recycling truck in a Barrie, Ont. neighbourhood on Thursday afternoon.
BREAKING Morgan Spurlock, Oscar-nominated director of 'Super Size Me,' dies at 53
Documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, an Oscar-nominee who made food and American diets his life's work, famously eating only at McDonald's for a month to illustrate the dangers of a fast-food diet, has died. He was 53.
BREAKING World Court orders Israel to halt assault on Gaza's Rafah
Judges at the top United Nations court ordered Israel on Friday to halt its military assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah, in a landmark emergency ruling on South Africa's case accusing Israel of genocide.
Top Russian military officials are being arrested. Why is it happening?
It began last month with the arrest of a Russian deputy defense minister. Then the head of the ministry’s personnel directorate was hauled into court. This week, two more senior military officials were detained. All face charges of corruption, which they have denied.
Milk sold in Canadian stores tested for avian flu: Results of 303 samples
As avian flu spreads south of the border, Canadian officials are now testing samples of milk sold in grocery stores across the country.
BREAKING Ontario to start expansion of alcohol sales in convenience and grocery stores this summer
Alcohol sales in Ontario will be enhanced in grocery stores and expanded to convenience stores this summer, a year-and-a-half sooner than expected, Ontario’s PC government announced Friday.
Ontario mother denied boarding flight with her family after ticket mistake
A dream vacation for an Ontario family quickly turned to frustration when a mother’s name on a ticket didn’t match the name on her passport, meaning she was left behind while her husband and two children flew to France.
Ontario patients visiting emergency rooms out of fear of being booted by family doctor
Ontario patients are now visiting emergency departments out of fear of being de-rostered from their doctor’s office – a loophole that results in hospitals dealing with non-urgent cases, and disrupts continuity of care paramount to family medicine, according to health-care experts.