Male citizens of Azerbaijan aged 18-45 who want to leave the country will be denied visas at foreign embassies. Visas will only be issued to persons going on business trips, an Azeri businessman who was denied a visa told the Yeni Musavat newspaper.

“I wanted to go to Dubai, but the embassy denied me a visa, through I go there several times a year. I went to the Chinese Embassy and they denied me as well. I said I would complain, but an embassy staffer told me the Azerbaijani Government instructed them not to issues visas to males aged 18-45,” the businessman said.

The newspaper conducted an investigation and found out that all the foreign diplomatic missions in Azerbaijan have followed this principle over the past month.

Talking to the newspaper, an expert pointed out males aged 18-45 are subject to mobilization. He advised looking for the reasons in the Azerbaijani authorities’ militant rhetoric.

“Males aged 18-45 are not allowed to leave the country, as about 50% of Azerbaijani citizens of this age are outside the country. If the rest leave, it will cause problems in case of mobilization,” the expert said.