AGHDAM, Azerbaijan - Police and child-protection officials in Azerbaijan have stopped an attempted early marriage involving a 15-year-old girl from the Aghdam district, authorities said.
The girl’s family contacted the Interior Ministry’s 102 emergency call center after she left home without saying where she was going. Police launched a search, working with the Aghdam Child and Family Support Center under the State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs.
Officials located the girl within a short period and returned her to her family. Authorities withheld her identity because she is a minor.
An initial investigation found that she had left home intending to marry a resident of the Shamkir district, according to the State Committee. The Aghdam District Police Department is continuing its review of the case.
Azerbaijan’s Marriage-Age Rules
Azerbaijan’s legal marriage age is 18. An earlier provision allowing the age to be lowered by up to one year in exceptional circumstances was abolished effective July 1, 2025.
The law also introduced liability for organizing an early marriage involving a person under 16, entering into an agreement for such a marriage, conducting an early-marriage ceremony or performing a religious marriage involving a child below that age.
The legal classification of any actions in the Aghdam case will depend on the outcome of the police investigation. Authorities have not publicly identified the Shamkir resident or announced any charges.
Sources: Vesti Baku; Report.az; Azerbaijan’s official legislation portal.