Seychelles drops witchcraft charges against opposition’s Patrick Herminie

VICTORIA - Seychelles’ main opposition leader Patrick Herminie is no longer facing witchcraft charges after prosecutors dropped the case against him.

He had always denied the accusations and speaking outside court on Thursday described them as “malicious action”.

The police had said the case related to the discovery of two bodies exhumed from a cemetery on the island of Mahé.

Herminie plans to run in the 2025 presidential election under the banner of the United Seychelles Party.

He called the case an “abuse of power” by President Wavel Ramkalawan, the AFP news agency quotes him as saying.

“We do not have the right to arrest someone and put them in prison for nothing at all,” he said.

The president has not commented on the case.

Herminie served as the Speaker of Seychelles’ parliament between 2007 and 2016.

The prosecutor told a magistrates’ court in the capital, Victoria, that he was withdrawing all charges against him. No reasons were given for the decision.

Last October, Herminie and six of his Seychellois co-accused were freed on bail.

They were charged with the possession of items intended for use in witchcraft, conspiracy to perform witchcraft and procuring services related to witchcraft, according to local media reports at the time.

Herminie told local media last year that more than 40 police officers had raided his party’s offices in Victoria.

“In Seychelles’ history, there has never been until now, a political party leader arrested for superstition and witchcraft. This is something new and it is shameful for Seychelles,” he was quoted as saying at the time. -