All persons liable for military service will be fingerprinted

It is to happen according to the new law adopted by the Chamber of Representatives. ‘Amendments to the law On state dactylographic registration envisages spreading the obligatory fingerprinting on all those who are liable for the army service,’ stated the Interior Minister Anatoly Kuliashou, Interfax informs.

As noted by the head of the Interior Ministry, this decision would allow ‘considerably increase the effectiveness of the law-enforcement agencies in the sphere of social security prosecution.’ Besides, as said by Kuliashou the obligatory fingerprinting also has preventive aims. ‘The fact that a person knows his fingerprint information is in the database would be an important factor for prevention of unlawful acts’, the minister said.

Kuliashlou also stated that at present according to agreements between the Interior Ministry and the Defense Ministry, draft boards offices and interior affairs agencies carry out voluntary fingerprinting of male persons subject to draft aged 18-25.

‘By 1 December this year fingerprinting of more than 1.3 million has been made, which is 61% of the total number of reservists. 22,000 persons refused to pass this procedure,’ Kuliashou said.

As charter97.org informed, mass illegal fingerprinting of male population of Belarus started after the blast on 4 July 2008 in Minsk. Belarusians are required to be fingerprinted under a pretext of a visit to the draft board or the police department. Besides, the Interior Ministry started to hold fingerprinting of underage in specialized secondary schools.