On October 23, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted a law that improves the legal mechanisms for the reburial of persons who died while defending the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the state. Deputies supported in the second reading and in general the draft law on amendments to the Law of Ukraine “On Burial and Funeral Affairs” (Registration No. 12413).
The document amends Articles 14, 21 and 25 of the current law. The main goal is to improve the legal procedure for the reburial of the deceased in the event of their identity being established, if previously unidentified remains were buried in accordance with the law. Special attention is paid to the procedure for reburial of military personnel and other persons who gave their lives for Ukraine.
The law stipulates that reburial may be initiated by the person who performed the initial burial, or by one of the relatives of the deceased – husband or wife, parents, children, brothers, sisters, grandfather, grandmother, grandchildren or great-grandchildren. If the person who performed the burial consents, his or her place in this process may be taken by relatives.
In the event that the identity of a person whose unidentified remains have already been buried in places provided for by law is established, the reburial shall be carried out by one of the family members. In the case of remains buried on the territory of the National War Memorial Cemetery, they may be reburied either in another cemetery or within the memorial itself, in accordance with the procedure determined by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.
In addition, the reburial of those who died defending the state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine will be financed from sources provided by law for the organization of the burial of such persons, and will be carried out once.
