Establishing the Fact of Death in an Occupied Territory

Ms. Oleksandra was forced to flee the occupied territory of Zaporizhzhia Oblast and relocated to Chernihiv. In November 2024, she received tragic news: her father, who had remained in the occupied area, had passed away. 

The available death documents (photo copies of the medical certificate and the death certificate) were issued by authorities appointed by the Russian Federation. However, when Oleksandra approached the Civil Status Registration Office in Chernihiv, she was denied registration of the death. The reason: documents issued in the temporarily occupied territories have no legal force in Ukraine. 

What can be done in such a situation? 

A lawyer from the NGO “MART” carefully reviewed the applicable legislation and prepared a court application to establish the fact of Oleksandra’s father’s death. 

A legal solution to a sensitive issue: 

• In December 2024, the application was submitted to the court. 
• In January 2025, the court reviewed the case and officially recognized the death that occurred in the occupied territory. 
• On January 8, 2025, following the court’s decision, Oleksandra was able to register her father's death in the State Register of Civil Status Acts and obtain an official extract. 

Thanks to legal support, Oleksandra was able to complete an important legal process that would have been nearly impossible without professional assistance. 

Free legal aid is provided by NGO “MART” in cooperation with the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), with funding from the European Union’s Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations.