Registration of deaths occurring in the occupied territories

In May 2024, an internally displaced person from Mariupol, Dmytro, turned to a lawyer of Caritas Mariupol, a charity supported by DRC. He was concerned about one of the most common problems that people seek legal aid from the Foundation - the death of loved ones in the occupied territory.

In April 2024, his grandfather died in Mariupol, and Dmytro faced problems with the death registration. The only document he was able to obtain was a photocopy of the medical certificate of death. He also had a photocopy of the death certificate issued in the occupied territories and a photo from the cemetery.

Based on the available evidence, the lawyer prepared a statement to the court and explained to Dmytro the next steps that would allow him to obtain a state death certificate, formalize the inheritance and receive the deceased's pension, which he did not have time to receive during his lifetime.

After receiving the death certificate, the man turned to the lawyer again with another question. In 2022, his mother died as a result of shelling in Mariupol. He reported this to the police, who opened a case, but had no other evidence and doubted whether it was possible to obtain his mother's death certificate.

The lawyer explained that in order to register the death in this case, it was necessary to establish the fact of death in court, attaching to the evidence a photocopy of the certificate from the intensive care unit and the testimony of Dmytro's friend who witnessed the tragedy. The lawyer again helped to prepare a statement to the court, and Dmytro was able to register his mother's death officially.

The provision of free legal aid to IDPs in Dnipropetrovs'k region was made possible thanks to the cooperation of Caritas Mariupol with the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) and funding from the European Union.