"MTV" channel has been fined for broadcasting a wedding ceremony involving consanguineous marriage

Based on the monitoring conducted by the Audiovisual Council, a violation of Article 9.3 of the Law "On Protection of children from harmful information" was detected during the broadcast of the program "Toya gelmishik" on "MTV" channel on October 22, 2025 between 20.31- 21.24.

During the broadcast of the program, a wedding ceremony held between relatives (the children of two sisters – a male and a female cousin) in one of the regions had been demonstrated. According to Article 12.0.2-1 of the Family Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan, marriage between the children of siblings who share a common biological grandfather and/or grandmother is prohibited. In accordance with Article 4.2.4 of the Law "On Protection of children from harmful information", such content is classified as information that discredits the institution of the family and is prohibited for circulation among children, and therefore is subject to broadcasting restrictions.

Earlier, another broadcaster had committed a similar violation, for which a warning was issued by the Audiovisual Council. At the time, all broadcasters were reminded to exercise caution and informed that monitoring activities in this area would continue.

A similar breach occurred on the "MTV" channel shortly after a previous case. Considering the seriousness of the matter, the representative of "MUZ TV Azerbaijan" LLC was invited to the Audiovisual Council for clarification, and an administrative offense protocol was submitted to the court. In accordance with Article 388-2.0.4 of the Code of Administrative Offenses, legal entities are subject to a fine ranging from 3000 to 4000 AZN for such violations.

The Audiovisual Council once again calls on all broadcasters to strictly comply with the requirements of the law and to strengthen editorial control in order to prevent the occurrence of violations that have previously led to sanctions against other broadcasters.