Tajikistan Man Files Lawsuit Against New Wife Claiming She's 'Not A Virgin'

A newlywed man has taken legal action against his bride, suing her over claims about her virginity.

The 30-year-old man from Tajikistan, a country bordering Afghanistan and China, is demanding nearly $5,000 from his wife just weeks after their wedding. According to reports from RFE/RL, the couple married in a small village near the capital, Dushanbe.

Suhrob, who works in construction, alleges that his 22-year-old bride was not a virgin on their wedding night. Because of this, he insists she should return the money he spent on the wedding and dowry.

However, the bride and her family have firmly denied the accusation and have responded with a countersuit for defamation.

After reviewing the case, the court ruled in the bride’s favor, awarding her around $1,140 in damages for the harm caused by the accusations. This decision, outlined in court documents obtained from the Rudaki district court, was not accepted by Suhrob, who has since appealed.

Expressing his frustration over the ruling, Suhrob stated: "I didn't work in the freezing cold in Russia to save money to marry someone who isn't a virgin."

The man tried to sue his new bride Getty Images

He went on to say: "I told her that I would have married someone else had I known this situation,"

In Tajikistan, a largely Muslim and conservative nation, premarital sex is heavily stigmatized. Women who are accused of engaging in sex before marriage often face lifelong shame and social isolation.

This case is one of many that highlight the persistent gender inequalities in the country, where women’s virtue is often placed under intense scrutiny.

Tajikistan is among the roughly 20 countries worldwide that still conduct so-called 'virginity tests,' a practice condemned by the World Health Organization (WHO) as medically unnecessary and unreliable.

These tests involve an intrusive physical examination of a woman’s genitals to determine whether she has engaged in sexual activity. Many women and girls are pressured into undergoing this procedure, sometimes against their will.

In Tajikistan, while the test is not officially required, it is often included as part of a broader medical screening that couples must complete before obtaining a marriage license.

The government introduced pre-wedding health screenings in 2015, officially to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections.

However, these screenings are frequently misused to evaluate a woman's so-called 'honor' and 'purity.' In many cases, the process involves an outdated and discredited 'two-finger test' or hymen examination, based on the mistaken belief that a woman's genitalia can reveal whether she has had intercourse.

Protestors against the practice in New Delhi in 2009 RAVEENDRAN/AFP via Getty Images

Both the United Nations and the World Health Organization have strongly condemned virginity testing, calling it a cruel and degrading practice.

In a joint statement, the UN and WHO declared that the test is a clear violation of women’s and girls’ human rights.

They emphasized: "The term 'virginity' is not a medical or scientific term," and continued: "Rather, the concept of 'virginity' is a social, cultural and religious construct - one that reflects gender discrimination against women and girls."

"The social expectation that girls and women should remain 'virgins' (i.e. without having sexual intercourse) is based on stereotyped notions that female sexuality should be curtailed within marriage. This notion is harmful to women and girls globally."

Health experts have also warned of the damaging psychological impact of this practice. The report explains: "Many women suffer from adverse short- and long-term physical, psychological and social consequences of this practice."

It goes on to state: "This includes anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress. In extreme cases, women or girls may attempt suicide or be killed in the name of 'honour'."

There have been tragic consequences linked to virginity accusations. In 2017, 18-year-old Rajabbi Khurshed took her own life after her husband accused her of premarital sex.

Despite being subjected to multiple medical examinations that proved her virginity, her husband, Zafar Pirov, refused to believe the results. He reportedly accused her of bribing the doctors to falsify the test results.

Pirov was later convicted and sentenced to seven years in prison for driving Khurshed to suicide, according to reports from RFE/RL.