A court in the town of Denau in the Surkhandarya region (in the southern part of the country, bordering with Afghanistan and Tajikistan) sentenced the four female activists of the extremist organization banned in Central Asia to between three and five years in prison.

Gulbakhor Akhmedjonova, a town resident, was sentenced to five years, and Khafiza Khaidarova, Shakhriniso Urinova and Dilshoda Eshkobilova, also local residents, were each sentenced to three years in prison, the source said.

"According to the court which examined this case, the women were Hizb ut-Tahrir activists who recruited new members to the banned organization and distributed extremist literature and leaflets," the source said.