Tajikistan cracks down on fortune-tellers, arresting over 1,500 in bid to curb "witchcraft."

Tajikistan, a majority Muslim country, has launched a crackdown on fortune tellers, clairvoyants, and mediums, arresting over 1,500 people engaged in "witchcraft and divination." The government aims to curb radical Islam and ancestral beliefs, with repeat offenses now punishable by two years' imprisonment and a fine of €12,800. Practitioners are adapting by conducting sessions discreetly to avoid police raids. The crackdown may be linked to social inequality and limited access to public services.