Watchdog

Uzbek human rights defender and former political prisoner Mutabar Tajibaeva will receive the International Women of Courage award in Washington next week.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will personally award Tajibaeva, who spent over two years in jail, for her human rights work.

"I devote this award to all women who are contributing to the promotion of civil society in my country," Tajibayeva told RFE/RL's Uzbek Service on March 5.

Last year Tajibaeva won the French government's Freedom, Equality, Brotherhood Award and the internationally known Martin Ennals Award.

Tajibaeva was detained in October 2005 after criticizing Uzbek officials for the violent police action in putting down a demonstration in the southern Uzbek city of Andijon in which hundreds of people were killed.

In May 2006, she was found guilty of several crimes and sentenced to eight years in prison. She was released earlier this year.

DUSHANBE -- The Tajik parliament's lower house has approved a controversial bill on religious organizations.

The bill was promoted at parliament as giving equality to all religions, but Saidbek Mahmadulloev of the Culture Ministry told RFE/RL that the law gives priority to the Islamic branch of Hanafi, to which some 90 percent of Tajiks adhere to.

If approved, the draft law would ban the propagation of other religions.

The legislation also sets up new regulations for religious schools.

Classes in such schools should be held in rooms with desks and chairs. Among other restrictions, children would not be allowed to sit on the floor as is currently the practice in many religious schools.

The Tajik opposition, NGOs, and international organizations have criticized the bill for imposing limitations.

Leaders of the Islamic Renaissance Party have challenged the legislation, saying that their alternative variant was ignored.