child marriage

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A protest in Tbilisi in April 2017 against early marriages. Photo: Mariam Nikuradze/OC Media.

child marriage

Podcast | Tackling child marriages in Georgia

by OC Media

•2 min read

In early October, Aitaj Shakhmarova, 14, was murdered by a man who kidnapped her and forced her into marriage as she was trying to flee his home. The crime shook Georgia, where child marriage rates are relatively high. This week, we spoke to Samira Bayramova, a human rights activist from Kvemo Kartli, about the murder and prevalence of early marriage in Georgia and the importance of raising awareness of child marriage and the development of rural communities. Baia Pataraia

A photograph of Aitaj Shakhmarova. Image via ambebi.ge

child marriage

Family of 14-year-old murdered in Georgia charged with complicity in her early marriage

by Tata Shoshiashvili

•4 min read

A Georgian court has charged the mother and uncle of 14-year-old Aitaj Shakhmarova, who was murdered in early October, with forced marriage of a minor. Local media reported on Friday that the minor had been kidnapped and forced into marriage by 27-year-old Asim Aslanov two months prior to the incident, and shot dead when she tried to escape on 6 October. Police arrested Asim Aslanov on Tuesday after a four-day search, a day after the Telavi district court charged Aslanov in absentia. Asla

Kurdamir District Central Hospital. Photo: Report.az.

Azerbaijan

Azerbaijani child bride dies during childbirth

by Ismi Aghayev

•1 min read

A teenage girl in Azerbaijan who married off at the age of 15 has died while giving birth at age 17. Shabinur Isayeva passed away at the Kurdamir District Central Hospital on 5 November after undergoing a caesarean section. Doctors managed to save the life of her child, though their condition remains unsatisfactory. Following public outcry, the Prosecutor’s Office announced that they had opened a criminal investigation for manslaughter. The investigation was announced after Kamala Aghazade

Hasrat Rajabova, 16, was murdered in the eastern Absheron district.

Azerbaijan

16-year-old girl murdered in Azerbaijan, allegedly by fiance

by Ismi Aghayev

•2 min read

A 16-year-old girl has been murdered in Azerbaijan, allegedly by her 26-year old fiance. Hasrat Rajabova was killed on Wednesday in the eastern Absheron District. Police have arrested her fiance, Murad Hasanov, and charged him with murder. According to the General Prosecutor’s Office, Hasanov attacked and killed Rajabova with a knife following a personal conflict. Commentators in Azerbaijan have suggested the tragedy is an example of a broader issue of child marriage and violations of w

Footage of the ceremony taken from social media.

Azerbaijan

Azerbaijani authorities return 15-year-old girl to family after ‘wedding’

by Ismi Aghayev

•2 min read

Authorities in Azerbaijan have returned a 15-year-old girl to her family after she was illegally ‘wed’ in the northern Shaki District. Videos of the marriage ceremony in the village of Kichik Dahna emerged on social media on Tuesday. Forced marriage of a person under the age of 18 is punishable in Azerbaijan by a fine of ₼3,000–₼4,000 ($1,800–$2,400) or restrictions on freedom for up to four years. Sex with a person under the age of 16 is punishable by up to three years in prison. After th

child marriage

Child marriage survivors in Georgia speak up about their experiences

by OC Media

•3 min read

A group of survivors of child marriage have spoken out about their experinces and against the practice. In a report by Equality Now, a London-based rights group, seven women spoke of their experiences. All Chinara Kojaeva wanted was to get a decent education and make her family and village Kosalari (South Georgia’s Tetritskaro Municipality) proud. However, graduating from school was only her priority. Her family took a large loan to arrange a wedding with a wealthy local man, something th

Sixteen-year-old Fatima Gambarova at her wedding to 19-year-old Iman Mammadov.

Azerbaijan

Sixteen-year-old girl murdered in Azerbaijan weeks after ‘wedding’

by OC Media

•3 min read

A 16-year-old girl has been murdered in the southern Azerbaijani city of Masalli just two weeks after illegally being wed. The girl’s 19-year-old husband has been arrested on suspicion of murder but has denied his guilt. The Ministry of Internal Affairs released a statement on Wednesday saying that the body of Fatima Gambarova was delivered to the district hospital with signs of violence earlier that day. The ministry said that a forensic examination found injuries on Gambarova’s neck, ri