E/CN.4/1990/46 page 50 87. On 20 December 1989, the Permanent Mission of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics communicated the reply of the Soviet Government to the Special Rapporteur's letter dated 8 November 1989: "The territory of the Abkhazian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, including the city of Sukhumi, is inhabited mainly by people of Georgian and Abkhazian nationality, who have traditionally professed Christianity. According to the information available to the Council for Religious Affairs of the USSR Council of Ministers, not a single Muslim community is registered on the territory of the Abkhazian SSR. No Muslim religious institutions, facilities or buildings, including mosques, have ever existed in that region. The authorities concerned have received no applications from Muslim believers to register communities and open mosques. "The clashes that took place from 14 to 16 July 1989 were caused by aggravated inter-ethnic dissensions, and resulted in casualties among both Abkhazians and Georgians. As regards the total number of casualties, the conflict, which regrettably did not cease last July, left 19 people dead and nearly 300 injured (according to the data of the USSR Ministry for Internal Affairs). "The available information gives no reason to believe that the conflict originated from religious antagonisms. "As regards the case of A. Ogorodnikov, under the current customs regulations, private citizens are prohibited from importing xerographic and copying equipment. It was therefore a general rule that was applied to A. Ogorodnikov, and not a discriminatory action, much less for reasons of his religious convictions. The importation of the printing equipment that A. Ogorodnikov received as a gift was permitted by the Chief Customs Office as an exception. "It should be noted, however, in connection with the forthcoming enactment in the USSR of a law on the press and other mass media, that the unrestricted importation of xerographic and copying equipment into the USSR is envisaged." United Kingdom 88. In a communication of 8 November 1989 addressed to the Government concerned, the following information was transmitted by the Special Rapporteur: "It has been alleged that paragraph 8 of schedule 2 of the 1981 Broadcasting Act which forbids religious advertisement interferes with the right of religious persons and groups to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through the media. It has further been alleged that the Cable Act of 1984 also discriminates against religious persons and groups by prohibiting them from owning a licence to provide a cable programme service. Future broadcasting legislation will allegedly prevent owners and licence holders from expressing their own views and opinions on religious matters and will disqualify bodies whose objects are wholly or mainly of a religious nature from holding any ITC licence."