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GENEVA A U.N. human rights watchdog called on Kuwait on Friday to amend a counter-terrorism law requiring nationwide compulsory DNA testing, saying that it was disproportionate and violated the right to privacy.
Any testing should be limited to individuals suspected of having committed serious crimes and only after a court order, the 18 independent experts said after reviewing Kuwait's record in upholding civil and political rights.
In July 2015, Kuwait's parliament adopted a law put forward by the Interior Ministry to create a DNA registry of Kuwaiti nationals and residents living in the Gulf state. The law, which the panel said also applied to tourists, imposes a one-year prison term and a fine on those who refused to provide samples.
The law "imposes unnecessary and disproportionate restrictions on the right to privacy", the U.N. Human Rights Committee said.
"We ... asked them to amend it to ensure that DNA collection is limited, only on the basis of individuals suspected of having committed serious crimes and on the basis of a court order," panel member Sarah Cleveland told a news briefing...