A DNA Database Of Citizens Is Being Created Illegally In Belarus

The system can use this data however it wants.

The Belarusian Committee on Forensic Expertise has proposed a genomic registry for citizens. Human rights activists claim that Belarusian law enforcement agencies are already collecting such DNA samples without waiting for changes in the law, according to "Radye Svaboda".

The chairman of the Committee on Forensic Expertise, Alexei Volkov, announced the initiative to register the DNA of Belarusian citizens. According to him, the initiative to create a DNA database containing data on Belarusian citizens is still being developed, but is already gaining support among law enforcement agencies and government bodies.

“We’re not saying that we need to go out and collect DNA samples from the entire country all at once. First of all, in our view, this work should take a certain amount of time: one, two, three, or four years—possibly, depending on the categories. Certain categories will be prioritized, while for others we can set a later deadline,” Volkov noted.

The official did not explain how this initiative would work once it becomes law or how DNA samples would be collected. At the same time, Svaboda has learned that a DNA database of Belarusian citizens has been secretly compiled in Belarus for at least several years.

“They came to the village and collected saliva samples”

The editorial staff of “Radye Svaboda” has information on at least several specific cases in which security forces attempted to collect DNA samples from relatives of non-state media employees who are forced to work from outside Belarus. The first such cases occurred in 2024.

Nikolai, a journalist with an independent Belarusian media outlet in exile (his real name is withheld for security reasons. — Ed.) told “Radye Svaboda” that his parents were required to provide DNA samples two years ago.

“A politically motivated criminal case was initiated against me. My mother was summoned to the Investigative Committee. Some time later, she was summoned again to the Investigative Committee to provide a DNA sample. She was out of town at the time and said she couldn’t come herself. So the Investigative Committee investigators went to her village and collected a saliva sample on the spot. They also said something along the lines of: “If something happens to your son, it will be easier to identify him,” the journalist said.

Another employee of a non-state Belarusian media outlet, who continues to work from abroad, also told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty about a similar case.

“My parents were summoned to the Investigative Committee after a criminal case was opened against me. The investigators told my parents that they needed my DNA, but since I live outside of Belarus, they would collect a saliva sample from them instead. When my parents asked if they could refuse to go to the Investigative Committee to provide a DNA sample, the investigators replied that they would take the sample from them anyway,” the journalist said. Like the previous interviewee, she does not want to reveal her real name for security reasons.

DNA samples are currently being collected not only from relatives of independent Belarusian journalists. Those convicted in political cases are also undergoing this procedure. And in some cases, relatives of political refugees who have left Belarus are being subjected to it as well.

A lawyer and deputy chairman of the Belarusian Association of Journalists , Oleg Ageev , told “Radio Svaboda” about this.

“This is quite a widespread phenomenon: DNA samples are being collected from political prisoners and from relatives of those who have left Belarus. This is being done outside the framework of the law. Such information is considered personal data under the law; it is prohibited to collect and disseminate it. There is a procedure for collecting samples as part of a specific criminal case, but that procedure is not being followed either. We are now seeing widespread instances where people are being tricked, lied to, or threatened into providing DNA samples for databases that are, in essence, illegal. This is a criminal offense. We do not know how this information is stored or used. And the adoption of the new law is an attempt to legalize an already existing practice,” the lawyer asserts.

DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) — is a kind of unique human “barcode,” a distinctive personal identifier found in human tissues and mucous membranes—in blood, hair, skin, saliva, and so on. Typically, a saliva sample is collected when DNA is obtained.

In European countries, there is no universal obligation to submit DNA samples to government agencies. For example, in the United Kingdom, the National DNA Database (NDNAD) collects samples from individuals convicted of or arrested for certain categories of crimes. There is a similar system in the United States (CODIS), but there, too, DNA samples are not collected from everyone, but only from those convicted of serious crimes and, in certain states, from those arrested for specific categories of offenses. This helps law enforcement agencies solve crimes.

The Criminal Code of Belarus contains Article 203-1: “Illegal Acts Regarding Information on Private Life and Personal Data.” The penalty under this article is up to three years of imprisonment, unless the offender is a public official.

“DNA data can be used however they want”

According to Oleg Ageev, a lawyer with the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ), it is still unclear why law enforcement might need the DNA data of exiled journalists or political activists. He points out that when the rule of law does not function in a country, this is particularly dangerous.

“When there is no legal framework, they alone decide how to use this information. This practice exists in other countries, but there, there is also legal regulation and accountable authorities. In Belarus, however, the security forces can use this however they please. People will be unable to file a complaint or defend themselves,” he adds.

Information that Belarusian security forces are collecting DNA samples from individuals convicted in politically motivated criminal cases and those administratively convicted for participating in the 2020 protests was revealed in a conversation with “Radio Svaboda.”

“People come to us and ask if they can refuse to provide a DNA sample. Most often, those who contact us are either former political prisoners or individuals against whom administrative proceedings have been initiated on political grounds. In Belarus, people are not yet required to provide these DNA samples; it is done only with the person’s consent. Such genomic registration amounts to greater control over society. Typically, in societies governed by the rule of law, specific groups of citizens are designated as required to provide DNA samples. If everyone were required to submit such DNA samples across the board, it would constitute an invasion of privacy. Moreover, it is also expensive—this data needs to be stored somewhere,” says the lawyer.

If the law on creating a unified DNA database of Belarusian citizens is adopted, it will be a continuation of the story that began in 2004. At that time, the law “On Dactyloscopic Registration” came into effect. It was amended several times, and ultimately made it mandatory for nearly all adult males with Belarusian citizenship to submit their fingerprints.

A wave of mandatory fingerprinting began in Belarus in 2008, following an explosion during the July 3 celebrations in Minsk. This spring, foreigners applying for a temporary residence permit or subject to fingerprinting in the interests of national security were required to submit their fingerprints in Belarus. The same requirement now applies to male Belarusians between the ages of 14 and 75 who are permanent residents abroad.

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