An expert explained what to do if a person was mistakenly declared dead.

      05 September 2025 09:00

      [164]

      Society

      A resident of Saint Petersburg, Igor Baykov, was listed as "deceased" in government databases after a criminal who had been using his stolen passport for several years died. As a result, the man's accounts were blocked, payments were stopped and he was denied access to medical care, reports 360.ru.

      Deputy director of the ANO "Center for the Development of Legislation" and candidate of legal sciences Dmitry Matyushenkov explained that such situations can occur if the passport continues to be used by another person, if the data matches an exact namesake, or in cases of medical errors.

      According to the expert, declaring a living person dead has serious consequences: accounts and social payments are blocked, property may pass to heirs, and access to government services becomes impossible.

      To restore living status, one must contact the civil registry office (ZAGS) to annul the death record, then file a claim in court and notify the bank, social protection authorities and other institutions.

      Matyushenkov emphasized that, in accordance with Article 46 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, the court cancels the decision recognizing someone as deceased if the person appears. There are no strict deadlines for filing, but action should be taken as soon as possible to minimize losses.

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