Shiwar News – Prolonged delays in the administrative procedures for releasing the bodies of deceased individuals from the Zahedan Forensic Medicine Office, together with reports of administrative disorganisation and inappropriate conduct by some staff and security personnel, have caused dissatisfaction among bereaved families. After losing their loved ones, these families are reportedly forced to wait for hours to complete administrative procedures and receive their relatives' bodies.
According to accounts provided by residents of Zahedan, families arrive at the forensic medicine office early in the morning to arrange the release of their relatives' bodies. However, delays in the arrival of certain officials responsible for releasing bodies disrupt the administrative process and leave families waiting for hours.
Residents say that, on some days, the official responsible for handing over bodies does not arrive at work until approximately 10 or 11 a.m. According to these accounts, this brings the release process to a standstill and increases the emotional strain on families already experiencing bereavement.
These delays create additional difficulties for families who must transport their loved ones' bodies to villages and towns surrounding Zahedan.
In accordance with their religious beliefs and traditions, many families seek to hold funeral prayers around midday, including at Zahedan's Makki Mosque, and complete burial ceremonies before sunset. However, lengthy delays in releasing bodies make it difficult to organise these arrangements.
In addition to administrative delays, residents have reported harsh and disrespectful treatment by some staff members and security personnel stationed at the entrance and within the grounds of the Zahedan Forensic Medicine Office.
According to residents, families arriving in a state of grief to collect their loved ones' bodies sometimes encounter behaviour that adds to their distress and sorrow, rather than receiving appropriate guidance and respectful treatment.
These circumstances raise serious questions about management practices, staff oversight and the responsibilities of those in charge of the Zahedan Forensic Medicine Office.
Why should families experiencing one of the most difficult moments of their lives be forced to wait for hours for administrative procedures to be completed? Why has the process for releasing bodies not been organised in a way that prevents the absence or late arrival of a single official from delaying or interrupting essential services?
The timely release of deceased persons' bodies and respectful treatment of surviving relatives are among the responsibilities of public service institutions towards citizens.
Bereaved families should not have to endure administrative uncertainty, disorganisation and inappropriate behaviour in addition to the grief of losing their loved ones.
Despite the complaints raised, no clear explanation has yet been provided regarding the reported delays, mechanisms for overseeing staff conduct or any measures that may be planned to improve the process for releasing bodies.
The Zahedan Forensic Medicine Office and provincial judicial authorities must explain what steps they have taken to prevent unnecessary delays, improve administrative procedures and ensure that bereaved families are treated with dignity and respect.
Respect for human dignity, including after death and during the process of returning a person's body to their family, is a responsibility that must not be undermined by administrative disorganisation or poor management.