A Criminal Case Opened in Surkhandarya Region for Arranging Early Marriage of a Minor

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — In Surkhandarya region, a criminal case has been initiated concerning the marriage of a minor girl.

It was established that on 8 July 2025, a resident of Denov district, M.R. (born 1958), arranged the marriage of her underage granddaughter, A.R. (born 2009), to a local man, M.R. (born 1997). Since A.R. had not reached legal adulthood, the marriage was not officially registered. Nevertheless, I.M. (born 1950) conducted a Sharia marriage ceremony for them in exchange for material compensation.

On 22 September 2025, a criminal case was filed against I.M. under Article 125-1 of the Criminal Code, and against M.R. under Article 128. The preliminary investigation is being conducted by the investigative department of the Denov District Department of Internal Affairs under the supervision of the Commissioner for Children’s Rights.

The Commissioner for Children’s Rights reminded that any cases of early marriage involving minors constitute a serious violation of children’s rights and entail administrative and criminal liability under the law.