Belarusian Interior Ministry needs citizens’ DNA codes

• 5.05.2010, 15:17

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Belarus considers a possibility of preparing a law on genetic registration of citizens.

This is reported by Interfax with reference to Uladzimir Ausyannikau, the head of the State Expert and Forensic Center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Belarus.

“An issue on working out laws on genetic registration has been included in the State Programme on Crime Prevention,” Ausyannikau said.

According to him, “DNA registration of population is common in many countries. This is a global tendency.” He also noted that “it was the DNA database that helped to identify the tsunami victims in Thailand some years ago. DNA tests were also used when identifying the victims of the Smolensk plane crash.”

Ausyannikau noted: “the most suitable variant of the DNA registration law would be an example of the law on fingerprinting of the population, already adopted in Belarus.”

First of all, the genetic registration is needed for people working in high-risk professions.