Slovenia calls for genetic samples to identify wartime and post-war victims

Slovenian authorities, including the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of the Interior, and the Government Commission for Resolving Issues of Hidden Graves, are calling on relatives of victims of wartime and post-war violence to assist in identification processes.

To identify remains discovered in hidden mass graves, officials are requesting genetic profiles from biological relatives. On November 17 and 19, between 7:00 and 19:00, relatives can visit designated police units in Ljubljana Moste, Koper, Celje, Slovenj Gradec, Novo mesto, Nova Gorica, Murska Sobota, Kranj, and Maribor to provide oral mucosa swabs for comparison with remains.

Authorities emphasized that participants do not need to know the exact location of the burial or possess documentation regarding the disappearance. All biological samples and genetic data will be used exclusively for the purpose of victim identification.