Establishing the fact of death in a territory not under the control of the government of Ukraine is a basic legal action to protect the interests of IDPs

In March, Olga*, a forced migrant from the Donetsk region, turned to Oleksandra, a lawyer at the Caritas Mariupol BF in Dnipro. In connection with active hostilities, she was forced to leave her native village of Bugas, where she lived with her family. Unfortunately, Olga's 98-year-old grandmother refused to evacuate. In November 2022, she died in a territory not controlled by the government of Ukraine.

The primary death document that Olga managed to obtain was only a photocopy of the medical death certificate. Later, the woman received a photocopy of the death certificate, which is contrary to the standard established by Ukrainian law.

Lawyer Oleksandr provided advice on the steps of obtaining a state-style death certificate and further actions, helped to collect the necessary documents and made a statement to the court.

In March, the court accepted the application and established the fact of the grandmother's death, Olga received a state-style death certificate and can now resolve the issue of the deceased's inheritance and unreceived pension.

Free legal aid for displaced persons in the Dnipropetrovsk region became possible thanks to the cooperation of the Caritas Mariupol Foundation with the Danish Refugee Council and funding within the framework of civil protection and humanitarian aid of the European Union.

*Name has been changed.