Parents of six young girls have gone on trial for forcing their daughters to marry under the legal age. The minimum age to marry in Tajikistan is 18 years. If convicted, each parent could be sentenced to up to five years in prison.
The cases are being tried in the southern Khatlon Province, where local officials have attempted to reduce a “worrying rise in early marriage.” Authorities hope these trials will serve as a warning in the community. Additionally, law enforcement officials gained approval for their campaign against underage marriage from local Islamic leaders.
Compiled from: RFE/RL's Tajik Service, Tajik Parents Tried for Forcing Underage Daughters Into Marriage, Radio Free Europe:Radio Liberty (2 May 2012).