Uzbek opposition denial

One of the leaders of Uzbekistan's Islamic movement in exile, Tahirjan Yuldashev, has denied that his followers were involved in disturbances last month in the Uzbek city of Namangan.

The Uzbek authorities have blamed Islamic extremists for the incidents which included a gunfight that left three policemen and a gunman dead.

Mr Yuldashev, in a BBC interview, said the trouble was the reaction of ordinary Muslims defending themselves against what he called oppression by the Uzbek authorities.

Human rights groups say the government has been attempting to curb Islamic activity by taking such steps as preventing female students wearing Islamic headscarves and curbing the use of loudspeakers for the call to prayer.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service