Tajikistan has introduced a new religion law which the United States has criticized as highly restrictive.
The law empowers the government to impose stricter control of religious groups in the former Soviet republic, which tolerates only the state-approved version of Islam.
The law was signed by President Emomali Rahmon and will come into force after its official publication.
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom said the law would only "legalize harsh policies already adopted by the Tajik government against its majority Muslim population."
Read the full story here.
The law empowers the government to impose stricter control of religious groups in the former Soviet republic, which tolerates only the state-approved version of Islam.
The law was signed by President Emomali Rahmon and will come into force after its official publication.
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom said the law would only "legalize harsh policies already adopted by the Tajik government against its majority Muslim population."
Read the full story here.