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Saudi Arabia: Will Saudi Arabia Execute Guest Workers for ‘Witchcraft’?

Indonesian guest workers are on trial in Saudi Arabia for “witchcraft.” But the charges are cover for cultural misunderstandings, sexual assaults, and withheld wages. Around 40 guest workers from Indonesia are sitting in jail. Most have been charged with sorcery or witchcraft. According to Global Post, five of these workers, having exhausted their appeals, face the death penalty.

For foreign household workers in Saudi Arabia, most of them women, sorcery charges are more common than you might think. Guest workers end up in jail through bad luck, legal revenge, and cultural misunderstanding.

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Nigeria: Ritual Killings – Police Warn Against Killing Of Suspects

The Oyo State Police Command has warned residents of the state to desist from lynching suspects accused of involvement in ritual killings. The command’s spokesperson, Mrs Olabisi Clet-Ilobanafor, gave the warning in an interview with newsmen in Ibadan.

Reports say that no fewer than three persons accused of involvement in ritual killings were attacked on Tuesday by angry mobs at two different locations in Ibadan metropolis.

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India: 7 get death for human sacrifice in Chhattisgarh

A Durg sessions court on Thursday awarded capital punishment to seven persons for killing a two-year-old boy to “please deities”. The incident took place on November 23, 2010 when a sorcerer Ishwari Yadav, resident of Ruanbandha area in Bhilai, his wife Kiran, friends and disciples murdered his neighbour’s son Chirag to enhancing his “magic powers”.

Total 12 persons were named as accused in the police chargesheet, including four minors, of whom three were Yadav’s children.

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Zimbabwe: Nephew kills uncle over witchcraft

A 29-year-old Chivi man allegedly fatally struck his uncle with an axe and left his wife for dead following a dispute over witchcraft, police said. Masvingo police spokesperson Inspector Charity Mazula said the incident happened on Saturday at around 7pm. She identified the deceased as Luka Chizani, 66, of Tichagwa Village. 

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Nepal: NC leader beaten for ‘witchcraft’

A Nepali Congress (NC) member from Constituency -3 of Tulsipur-3 in Siraha district, Premshila Yadav, was ruthlessly beaten up by her in-laws on charge of witchcraft.

Family of Premshila’s elder brother-in-law Gangai Yadav alias ‘Lattu’ beat her unconscious for casting an evil spell on his daughter. They claimed that Lattu’s daughter Binda Devi fell sick after eating a delicacy prepared by Premshila. The family attacked Premshila while she was sitting in the front porch of her home on Tuesday afternoon. Premshila’s husband, Ram Pujan, who came to here rescue, was also beaten by his brother’s family.

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Ghana: “I killed my mum because she is a Witch”- Girl Recounts

This girl confronted her mother asking her if she was a witch. The mother denied but after a long argument, the mother finally agreed.

They started fighting then banged on her mothers head with a sledgehammer and poured her acid on her face.

Watch the girl’s statement here

Africa: “Save Accused Witchcraft-Children And Ritual Victims – Save Them Save Yourself”

“We are not concerned here whether abused children are witches or not. The problem is not only human rights concern about abuse of “Witchcraft-Children”; rather, it is about religious persecutions, murder, assassinations, and genocides—crimes against humanity…

Not only have children been traumatized, they have been victims of spells, eaten potions, and hypnotized. We rescue the children, restore health of their physical bodies, and heal them spiritually from within. We deliver them from ancestral curses. We bring them up as special children with peculiar attributes and needs. We classify them as “Gifted Children”.

We are building Aruokun Commune For Gifted Children.”

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Namibia: ‘Possessed’ Namibian learners miss exam

Schooling was yet again disrupted at the Mvula Junior Secondary School yesterday after a number of learners began exhibiting strange behaviour that has been linked to witchcraft.

The unusual behaviour of the seven female and one male learner left many of the grade 8 to 10 learners unable to sit for their exams. The ‘possessed’ learners are said to have been kicking and rolling on the floor, and screaming frantically, crying and cursing – what the Omaalala community interpreted as clear signs of being bewitched.

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Zimbabwe: New twist to Chitungwiza “egg witchcraft” case

A Chitungwiza man, who was  jailed for nine months after being caught allegedly practising witchcraft within the Chitungwiza magistrates’ courts premises, could walk free soon, after his case was said to have caught the attention of judicial authorities who questioned his conviction.

Lovemore Jochoma, 27, of Unit G in Chitungwiza, was caught “red-handed” while preparing to smash an egg to perform a ritual inside the Chitungwiza Magistrates court’s premises.

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Uganda: UCC Warns Against Misuse of Airwaves To Promote Witchcraft

The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has warned against misuse of airwaves to promote witchcraft. The Executive Director UCC, Mr Godfrey Mutabazi said the warning goes to the broadcasting, telecommunications, film and postal/courier services who host witchdoctors to promote witchcraft.

“The commission has noted with concern that various media houses usually host witch doctors/traditional doctors who engage in discussions that promote witchcraft practice,” Mutabazi said.

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