Ganja, Azerbaijan’s second city, say a de facto ban on nightlife has left them with few ways of spending their free time.Almost a third of the city’s 300,000 Glendale singles are aged between 14 and 29, with many studying at Ganja’s four higher education institutions.

The city had a healthy crop of discos and bars until two years ago, when a new police chief was appointed and closed them all down.”There are no discos, no bars and no night clubs. There are only restaurants which young people don’t go to.

Most young people in Ganja are unemployed or on close to the minimum wage, so going to restaurants would be an expensive habit,” Sabina Sadykhova of the Bridge to the Future group said.Deputy police chief Ilgar Balakishiyev, said closing all the night spots reduced crime rates significantly.”The closures helped reduce crime in the city.

 Today, we solve 97 per cent of all crimes, and the public can relax,” he said.Non-government groups working with young people say the decision to close bars and clubs was an overreaction, as it has left young people with nothing to do.

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