Azerbaijan, Baku / Trend corr. S.Ilhamgizi / Parliament's proposal to introduce changes concerning a compulsory medical examination for all those getting married was put forward for the Family Code of Azerbaijan.
The Azerbaijani Parliament made the decision to introduce changes into the bill on the State Committee on Family, Women and Children Problems. The first discussion of the issue was held in the State Management Academy with the President on 20 September.
The Family Code in Azerbaijan was accepted in the Azerbaijani Parliament in 1999 and came into force from 1 July 2000.
Changes are being proposed for introduction in the Family Code of Azerbaijan and to increase the age requirement from sixteen to seventeen for women and from seventeen to eighteen for men as well as the enforcement of compulsory medical examinations. MP Rabiyat Aslanov, the Chairman of the Parliamentary Commission on Human Rights, does not agree with the compulsory medical examinations for those to be married. The MP considers the exams to be a violation of human rights if introduced to such a bill. Medical examinations should not be compulsory and newly married couples should themselves make the decision to pass medical examinations or not. MP Gultakin Hajiyeva, is also against such a bill. Elmira Suleymanova, the Azerbaijani Ombudswoman, does not agree with MP Aslanova. According to the Ombudswoman, the introductions to the bill should be completely carried out. The human rights activists, Novella Jafarova, said that medical examinations for couples marrying should be compulsory.