The practice of fortune telling is once again being targeted by the government of Tajikistan, which has reportedly intensified its efforts to eradicate the proverbial dark arts in the Central Asian nation. Although the country banned witchcraft back in 2007, residents have continued to seek insights from soothsayers and mystics, much to the chagrin of authorities. In response, the fine for practicing fortune telling in Tajikistan was significantly increased last year, and jail time was added as a penalty for those caught in the act. Meanwhile, people who patronize mystics also came under fire with authorities ominously compiling lists of such customers with the implication that they could also find themselves in trouble with the law.

Unfortunately, that suggestion appears poised to come to fruition as the Tajikistan parliament has been asked to amend the anti-witchcraft law to include a fine of up to $80 for anyone charged and convicted of seeing a fortune teller. The reasoning behind the change, which will almost certainly be passed, is to cleverly cut off the customer base for mystics, in the hopes that their black market businesses will fail and they will be forced to close shop. The country's increasingly draconian war on witchcraft stands in stark contrast to recent developments in the United States, where multiple communities have rescinded their archaic restrictions on fortune telling.