This man is officially dead in Romania, despite his protests

A Romanian man has lost a court case over whether or not he is alive, The Associated Press reports. Constantin Reliu otherwise looks and sounds and acts like a living 63-year-old man, but the court determined he took too long to appeal his death certificate, which his wife obtained in 2016 after he traveled to Turkey in 1992 and subsequently lost contact with her. Turkish authorities found and deported Reliu earlier this year.

"I am officially dead, although I'm alive," said Reliu. "I have no income and because I am listed dead, I can't do anything."

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.