~ Uzbekistan customs seizes 15,000 Bibles ~

Uzbekistan authorities have refused to release some 15,000 Bibles that were seized by customs. The State Religious Affairs Committee and Justice Ministry officials stated they ordered the Bible Society to return the books to Russia at their own cost as "there is no need to import Bibles into Uzbekistan since there's an electronic version on the Internet." Christian workers say, however, that since the average income in Uzbekistan is about $10 a day, internet access may not be very accessible to the average person. (BosNewsLife, 28 Feb.)