Tajikistan Considering Forced Labor for Violators of Witchcraft Ban

Officials in the Central Asian nation of Tajikistan are considering instituting a rather harsh punishment for individuals busted practicing the proverbial dark arts: six months of forced labor. Although various forms of fortune telling and witchcraft were reportedly banned in the country back in 2007, interest in the occult remains quite popular, much to the dismay of authorities. These beliefs are perceived as such a problem that the president of Tajikistan went so far as to give a speech earlier this year wherein he stressed to residents that "the Prophet of Islam strictly forbade going to fortune tellers and sorcerers."

More on this story at the Coast to Coast AM website.