Functionary of extremist Islamic organisation convicted by Uzbek court

In Uzbekistan leader of the women's wing of the Hezb-ul-Tahrir al-Islami (Islamic Liberation Party in the translation from Arabic) religious-extremist organisation Musharraf Usmanova was adjudged guilty of extremist activity but was released from custody for humanitarian reasons.

Usmanova, 39, was charged with being the leader of the women's wing of the Hezb-ul-Tahrir extremist organisation for the city of Tashkent and the Tashkent Region. Hezb-ul-Tahrir's activity is aimed at undermining the constitutional political system of Uzbekistan.

In the course of the court session Usmanova's guilt was proved in full. For the crimes she committed the court sentenced her to 5 years of deprivation of liberty with serving the sentence in a colony with a reinforced regime.

But, considering the pregnancy of Usmanova and the fact that six children are her dependants and also displaying humanism and mercy, the court mitigated the punishment and gave Usmanova a suspended sentence of 2 years of deprivation of liberty with releasing her from custody in the courthouse.

The religious extremist party Hezb-ul-Tahrir al-Islami struggles for establishment of a single Islamic Caliphate on the territory of the Central-Asian states.

The emissaries of the organisation carry out their activity in Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan.

As the Federal Security Service of Russia reported, it has information showing that Hezb-ul-Tahrir al-Islami is the most radical and conspired structure of the extremist wing of the Moslem Brothers (Ihwan ul-Musulmin in Arabic) international Islamic association. The latter pursues the aim of setting up Islamic states forming part of the so-called Great Islamic Caliphate on the territory of Russia and in Central Asia.

The activity of the organisation's structures on the CIS territory is planned and financed by foreign centres. Sheikh Omar Mohammed Bakhri heads the most active of these centres which is based in Great Britain and is known for its anti-Russian orientation and its active support of the militants in the North Caucasus.