The key facts
- Tajikistan's Interior Ministry is creating a unified database of fortune tellers, sorcerers, prostitutes, their clients and close relatives
- The registry is also planned to include drug addicts and religious figures without the relevant education
- In the first half of 2026, 93 cases of fortune telling were identified in Dushanbe, and criminal cases were opened against five people
Unified database of Tajikistan's Interior Ministry
Tajikistan's Interior Ministry announced on social media its plans to place fortune tellers, sorcerers, prostitutes, their clients and even close relatives under constant surveillance. The special database is also planned to include drug addicts and religious figures without the relevant education.
Goals and operating procedure of the registry
According to the ministry, the new procedure is intended to help combat fraud, fortune telling and sorcery. The registry will collect personal data of people engaged in such activities, as well as those who use their services. The information is planned to be transferred to relevant government structures. The Interior Ministry warned that not only fortune tellers and sorcerers themselves, but also those around them, may come under surveillance, and advised citizens to stay away from such services so as not to end up in the police card file.
Liability for fortune telling and sorcery
The fight against magic in the republic has been going on for several years. In the first half of 2026 alone, 93 cases of fortune telling were identified in Dushanbe, and criminal cases were opened against five people. For sorcery and fortune telling, Tajikistan provides for large fines and administrative arrest. A repeat offense within a year can result in criminal prosecution and imprisonment for up to two years. Liability is also provided for clients of fortune tellers.
