UN worried about wicked witches

A UN speaker has voiced a sharp protest against the murder and abuse of witches around the world.

Professor Phillip Alston, Special Rapporteur of the United Nations from the Human Rights Council on Extra-judicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions, discussed how the belief in witchcraft, and the perceived 'evil nature' of those practicing, it is preserved in a number of countries around the world.

According to Alston, there are a number of reports of women being murdered simply due to a suspicion of their practicing witchcraft.

Several documents state that “witches” are being arbitrarily sentenced to death in the Central African Republic, Papua New Guinea, Tanzania and other countries. In Tanzania, the number of murdered “witches” is as high as one thousand per year.

“This could appear as a very esoteric problem, but over the course of my work I found that this is a common problem,” Alston pointed out.

He insisted that the issue is not receiving proper attention and that each of the “executions” should be investigated for what it is – murder.