You're reading: Chechnya’s Kadyrov calls for crackdown on sorcery

MOSCOW — The leader of Chechnya, in Russia's mountainous Caucasus, has ordered a crackdown on faith healers, psychics and sorcerers.

Ramzan
Kadyrov, the Kremlin-backed strongman who runs the overwhelmingly
Muslim region, over the weekend called on Chechens to steer clear of
people claiming to have magic powers.

Kadyrov told a meeting with
municipal leaders on Saturday that “turning to wizards and false healers
won’t bring them any relief and is banned by Islam.” He added that
practicing the dark arts is illegal and un-Islamic, and anyone doing so
would feel the force of the region’s feared security services.

Many locals believe Chechnya is a hotbed for Islamic spirits called djinns drawn there by the destruction from two separatist wars.