Forensic medicine utilized specialized and genetic methods to identify the identities of martyrs. This process was carried out under difficult conditions and with the cooperation of various organizations.
Efforts to Identify the Identities of Martyrs
During multiple attacks, many individuals involved encountered bodies that had been severely mutilated due to explosions. In many cases, what was handed over to forensic medicine was not a complete body; rather, it consisted of body parts, bones, or other human remains. For this reason, a specific code was assigned to each piece to allow for tracking and matching with other samples and cases.
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This coding was of great importance; as the only remaining remains of an individual might be a bone fragment or a small part of the body. Alongside this, imaging and documentation were conducted on the bodies, parts, clothing, and usable belongings. Additionally, in a significant number of cases, there was no possibility for visual identification. In such circumstances, forensic medicine employed specialized methods for identity verification.
The Key Role of the Forensic Genetics Department
Considering that a high percentage of the bodies referred were not fully identifiable, the forensic genetics department played a decisive role in this operation. Necessary samples were taken from human remains and examined at specialized genetics centers. Moreover, genetic samples were collected from the families of missing or deceased individuals when necessary to facilitate matching.
After preparing the genetic profiles of the martyrs and their families, the matching process was conducted, and the results were used for identity verification and the delivery of the body to the family. This specialized capacity allowed for the identification of the deceased using scientific and credible methods, even in cases where there was no possibility for visual identification.
Many staff members encountered scenes that were emotionally very heavy. Among the examined bodies were women, children, infants, and even fetuses in the wombs of mothers. Witnessing these scenes created significant emotional pressure for staff members who themselves had families and children.
In some cases, families came to identify their loved ones, and forensic staff, in addition to performing their specialized duties, tried to accompany them in these difficult circumstances while maintaining calm and respecting the dignity of the families.
A sense of empathy, responsibility, and cooperation among staff members was a prominent feature of this period. Many personnel were present at the workplace around the clock, and even in the early days, they were not allowed to leave the centers.
In one phase of the operation, a large number of bodies were transferred to forensic medicine simultaneously. The intensity of the explosions in many areas was such that the corpses had been reduced to small pieces. In some cases, human remains were transferred along with personal belongings, clothing, mobile phones, and other items.
However, in many cases, the severity of burns and destruction prevented the use of these belongings for identification, increasing the necessity for scientific methods, especially DNA. The extent of destruction depended on the distance of the incident site from the explosion site, and the closer the distance, the more fragmented the body became.
One of the effective factors in managing this crisis was the interdisciplinary cooperation among organizations, where the responsibilities of the staff were not limited to performing an administrative or medical process; rather, they were faced with families who came to forensic medicine to find and identify their loved ones.
It is also noteworthy that some military and security centers had been targeted in the attack, and access to the bodies was sometimes accompanied by serious difficulties. Additionally, special coordination was carried out among the judiciary, military and police forces, and forensic medicine for the transfer and acceptance of the bodies.
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