TEHRAN – Tayebeh Siavashi, a reformist parliamentarian, has expressed regret that a motion to ban child marriage was rejected by the Majlis Legal and Judicial Committee.

“We intended to allow little girls to enjoy their childhood but unfortunately the motion failed,” Siavashi regretted, ISNA reported on Tuesday.

The legal age of marriage in Iran is 13 years old, she said, adding that the motion aimed to increase it to 16.

Pointing out that a significant number of children marry in Iran each year, Siavashi likened forcing children to marry at a young age to “killing them”.

MH/PA