DUSHANBE (Satrapia) — Last year, Tajikistan’s courts issued 2,500 permits for the marriage of underage girls, according to the Ombudsman’s office based on statistics from the Supreme Court of Tajikistan.

Under the legislation of the country, the age of marriage is 18 years. However, in exceptional cases, for example, at the beginning of pregnancy or in the event of serious illness of the parents, by court decision, it is allowed to enter into marriage from the age of 17.