Interview with Asilbek Normatov, Head of the Laboratory of Forensic Biological Examination of Human DNA at the Republican Center for Forensic Examination named after H. Suleymanova under the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
- Briefly tell us about the activities of the center.
- Our center was established sixty-five years ago in the form of a forensic laboratory, at which time some types of traditional examinations were conducted. Today, the Center is a leading scientific and practical institution known not only in Uzbekistan but also abroad. It has a modern technical base and advanced methods for conducting forensic examinations at a high level, giving accurate and reliable expert opinions. The center currently conducts traditional forensic, chemical, physical, engineering, biological, economic and other examinations, as well as the most modern examinations - human DNA - gene fingerprinting, phonography (voice and speech), materials science.
- What are the main problems of the laboratory "Forensic biological examination of human DNA"?
- This laboratory works to address the issues of identification of the individual and biological kinship through genetic identification. The main purpose is to identify the identity of the biological traces in the physical evidence identified in the investigation of serious crimes, such as intentional homicide, rape, aggression, robbery, as well as natural disasters, man-made tragedies and terrorist acts. is to identify them through the remains of the body. However, forensic biological examination of human DNA can determine not only a person's identity, but also whether people are closely related. For these reasons, these forensic studies also shed light on cases of child replacement, child abduction, and the identification of minors and those who have lost their memory in maternity hospitals.
Our laboratory also works to identify and resolve issues of civil kinship, such as biological paternity, motherhood, paternal or maternal descent. Our research is very important in carrying out this process. In our laboratory, inspections are carried out mainly on the basis of a court ruling or a written request from a citizen. When applying to the center, citizens must provide a receipt stating that they have submitted a sample voluntarily and that no one has forced them to do so.
If the investigation is conducted on the basis of a court order, a forensic report will be prepared at the end of the investigation. If the survey was conducted at the request of a citizen, an expert opinion will be provided.
- What is the procedure for determining paternity?
- To the center not only fatherhood, but also motherhood, childhood and beyond
There may also be references to identifying biological relatives - brothers, sisters, grandparents. For any purpose, comparative samples (eg, blood or saliva) from the estimated “father,” “mother,” and “child” should be provided for appropriate research.
"What if they died?"
- Sometimes there are similar cases. If the presumed parent or other person to be identified has died, other types of biomaterials may be provided, such as hair fibers, muscle tissue, bone samples, and any biological samples containing the root part. In fact, the DNA is the same in all human organs.
- Who performs comparative sampling?
- The process of taking comparative samples for expert examinations is carried out by a specialist of the Center or staff of local medical institutions. In cases when comparative samples are to be taken by an employee of the Center, they must be indicated in the court's expert documents or in the ruling issued by the court.
The person authorized by the court and witnesses must be present during the sampling process. However, this process is included in the protocol.
- Is the amount of money spent on inspections determined?
- The state fee for research to determine the biological relationship is set at 856 soums, depending on the type of research, the average - 549 soums and the most complex - 1 soums.
The simple, intermediate, and complex forms of research are determined by the biological samples provided. For example, blood or saliva samples from living people are considered "simple", if any of the comparative samples are blood, saliva, hair or muscle samples from the deceased, "medium", and if the samples are bone marrow samples from the dead, "complex". is a form of research.
Sometimes biological paternity or motherhood of two, three or more children is determined. In this case, the cost of research is determined by how many individuals (parents, children, etc.) of the sample were studied.
In solving the problems, the probability levels of biological fatherhood and biological motherhood are determined on the basis of certain algorithms, and the probability level is expressed as a percentage in order to scientifically substantiate the conclusions based on the results of expert examinations, as well as to determine the diagnostic quality of the results.
