Seychelles: Opposition leader, others charged with witchcraft

The Magistrate Court of Seychelles has charged Patrick Herminie, leader of Seychelles main opposition party, United Seychelles (US), and seven other men with witchcraft-related offences, reports say.

The court ruling came Monday October 2 as part of an ongoing saga which started late last month, with the arrest of six men namely five locals and a Tanzanian national.

Herminie was first arrested in relation to the case on Friday September 29 and released later the same day. However, he was summoned Monday October 2 to court to be officially charged, along with 7 others, including the six who were initially arrested, local media “Nation Seychelles” reports.
The charges include being in possession of anything intended to be used for the purpose of witchcraft, conspiracy to exercise in witchcraft non-natural and superstitious mean, counselling and procuring another person in exercising witchcraft, non-natural and superstitious mean and soliciting any person to advise him on any matter for the purpose whatsoever by witchcraft, non-natural or other superstitious means.

The case arose after the discovery in August 2023 of the unearthed bodies of an elderly woman and a young man in a cemetery on the main island of Mahé.

Herminie has been associated with the case after his name was found on the phone of the Tanzanian national, who was arrested at Seychelles International Airport at the end of September in possession of stones, small bottles containing a brownish liquid, an assortment of powders and several documents containing language and symbols described as satanic.

The former speaker of the National Assembly between 2007 and 2016 denied any wrongdoing. He reportedly described the case as “political persecution”. He posited that his trial “appears to be a political witch-hunt orchestrated by the President of the Republic Wavel Ramkalawan, who seems to be very scared.”