Azerbaijan Sees Low Marriage Rate

(MENAFN) Azerbaijan has witnessed a significant decrease in the number of registered weddings after implementing a restriction on unions involving close family members, local media revealed.

Revisions to the Family Code, which came into force on July 1, forbid marriages between cousins as well as other close kin, including uncles and nieces.

Authorities defended the step as a means to safeguard public health, pointing to genetic dangers tied to consanguineous unions.

Official data indicated that weddings dropped from 5,032 in June to 2,694 in July, according to statistics recently shared by a news agency.

For years, government officials and medical specialists have cautioned that cousin marriages heighten the chances of inherited illnesses.

Supporters of the ban argue it will strengthen family health conditions and bring national family law closer to global norms.

Nevertheless, the decision has triggered cultural and societal resistance. Opponents contend that the legislation infringes upon individual freedom and tradition.

In some communities, cousin unions remain customary, and accounts have surfaced of couples compelled to call off or delay their planned ceremonies.

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