Law of Ukraine “On the Legal Status of Persons Missing Under Special Circumstances”

The Law of Ukraine “On the Legal Status of Persons Missing Under Special Circumstances” establishes the key provisions for the protection of the rights of persons who have gone missing due to armed conflict, military actions, temporary occupation of part of Ukraine’s territory, or as a result of other emergencies. This law is aimed at regulating the legal status of such persons and ensuring social protection for both missing persons and their relatives.

Article 1 provides key definitions, including the term “person missing under special circumstances,” which refers to individuals who have gone missing due to armed conflict, military actions, temporary occupation, or natural or man-made emergencies. It also defines “close relatives and family members of a person missing under special circumstances.” This category includes spouses, parents, children (specifically sons and daughters), adoptive parents or adopted children, guardians or custodians, and persons under guardianship or custody. In this context, children are considered a key category of close relatives and are specified as sons and daughters. This term includes both minors and adult children, ensuring their legal protection regardless of age.

Article 6 outlines the rights of close relatives and family members of persons missing under special circumstances. These rights include obtaining reliable information about the whereabouts of the missing person, the circumstances of their death (if known), and the place of burial. The law also establishes mechanisms for filing a search application for such persons and obtaining information from the authorized state bodies about the progress of the search.

The law obliges state bodies responsible for the registration and search of missing persons to provide necessary information to the family members of the missing and ensure social protection in accordance with Ukrainian legislation. Citizens and civil organizations can also be involved in the search for missing persons, cooperating with the National Police, which enhances the effectiveness of the search and actively engages the public in this process.