Slovenia calls for relatives of war victims to assist in DNA identification

Slovenian authorities, including the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of the Interior, and the Commission for Hidden Graves, have issued a public call for relatives of victims of wartime and post-war violence to assist in identification efforts.

Following an amendment to the Law on Hidden Military Graves passed in May 2026, officials are now permitted to compare genetic profiles from recovered remains with those of biological relatives. Relatives who believe an ancestor may be among the victims are invited to provide oral mucosa swabs at designated police stations to create reference genetic profiles.

Collection of samples is scheduled for November 17 and 19, 2026, between 7:00 and 19:00. Participating locations include police units in Ljubljana Moste, Koper, Celje, Slovenj Gradec, Novo mesto, Nova Gorica, Murska Sobota, Kranj, and Maribor. Authorities emphasized that relatives do not need to know the exact location of the burial or possess specific documentation regarding the disappearance to participate.