Instagram users shocked about TV making public photos of Chechen psychics’ clients

As a part of a new story with public apologies of a fortune-teller, the Chechen TV Channel made public photos of local residents who addressed spiritual healers for help. Some Instagram users found it unacceptable to make public someone's personal data.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in Chechnya, persecutions of sorcerers and psychics were launched in 2013, when, amid the fight against magicians and sorcerers announced by the head of Chechnya, dozens of people were detained, and some disappeared. Since this July, the Chechen authorities have once again intensified the persecution of people providing occult services.

In the evening on October 21, the "Grozny" ChGTRK (Chechen State TV and Radio Company) showed a TV story about Raisa Dakhtsaeva, a detained resident of Grozny, who was engaged in fortune-telling with playing cards. Like in other similar cases, Adam Elzhurkaev, an expert of the Centre for Islamic Medicine, talked to the detainee. Adam Elzhurkaev referred to the Koran and the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad and spoke about the inadmissibility for Muslims of involvement in fortune-telling and witchcraft.

In the TV story, Raisa Dakhtsaeva said she regretted her involvement in fortune-telling.

On October 21, on its Instagram page, the "Grozny" TV Company posted photos and other personal data of the people declared in the post to be "victims of the so-called sorcerers and psychics."

As of 12:20 a.m. Moscow time, the post gained more than 1100 likes, and 56 comments were posted under it. Authors of many comments addressed curses to "psychics," but some criticized the post.

"Get busy and do not interfere in other people's lives!" wrote, in particular, user ninita394.

In Chechnya, the practice of public humiliation of people has also been criticized. "The fact that they (the people who provide occult services) are taken seriously is pleasing. However, no shows on TV with humiliation and repentances should be prepared. Firstly, it is not in our tradition to humiliate and insult anyone, and that also contradicts the Islam concepts. Secondly, we broadcast it almost for the whole world, and neither our republic, nor our people need such a 'glory'," said Imran, a resident of Chechnya.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on October 22, 2019 at 12:23 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.