E/CN.4/2005/61/Add.1 Page 85 went to the house of S. Abdugaffarov to give him religious instruction and make propaganda. Such activities contradict the provisions of article 5 (3) of the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan on “Freedom of conscience and religious organizations”. The situation had accordingly been carefully studied and reviewed by the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) of Kashkadarya Province and later by the Karshi City Court. On 23 January 2004, the relevant documents were sent to the DIA of Karshi City for further inquiry and clarification. As a result, the DIA established no violation of administrative norms, and, on 20 March 2004, the investigation was discontinued. The Government indicated that the inquiries had confirmed that Ms. Boivoka and Ms. Narmanova had not been detained and no harassment or intimidation or other forms of ill-treatment had occurred. The Government also noted that according to the legislation of the Republic of Uzbekistan any religious organization obtains the status of a legal person once it is registered by the appropriate institutions and conducts its activities in accordance with the law. However, the founders of a branch of the religious organization Jehovah’s Witnesses in Karshi City have not applied for State registration with the Justice Department of Kashkadarya Province and attempted to ignore the provisions of the law. 339. The Government also informed the Special Rapporteur that Lepesbai Omarov worked as a sports teacher in the Youth Sports School in the Muinak district of Karakalpakstan till 24 November 2003. From 16 October to 11 November 2003 he did not go to work without giving any valid reason for his absence. He was therefore sacked from his post by the relevant order, Ref. No. 140 of the Muinak district department of education. The Government indicated that the allegations of the Special Rapporteur regarding the reasons for the dismissal of Mr. Omarov from his job were groundless and did not correspond to the real situation. Mr. Omarov had not applied to a court or a law enforcement body regarding the issue of violation of his rights. The Government also underlined that citizens of Uzbekistan have the right to worship and exercise their belief in any religion or to believe in no religion. No one is dismissed from his or her job on the ground of belief. 340. According to the Government, on 23 December 2003 a group of citizens of the Friendship Biblical Baptist Church in the village of Ahmad Yassaviy applied in Tashkent Province for registration of the statute of this organization with the Justice Department of the province. In the process of examining the application and its enclosures, shortcomings were found in the documents. In this connection, and according to the decision of the Justice Department on 23 March 2004, the application was not approved but it was explained that the shortcomings in the documents should be eliminated by the organization and. At the time of the communication, no new application had been received from the organization. The administrative and law enforcement bodies of the district had taken measures to suspend the activity of the organization since it had conducted its business in violation of the provisions of the law. The Friendship Biblical Baptist Church could start its activity after its registration. 341. The Government indicated that the registration document of the Peace Protestant Church in Nukus was discontinued according to the decision Ref. No. 22 of the Ministry of Justice of Karakalpakstan on 24 July 2000 for violation of the provisions of the statute of the organization and article 3 of the Law on “Freedom of conscience and religious organizations”. In violation of the law, the organization had