witchcraft

The trial took place at Carrickfergus courthouse in 1711 when eight Presbyterian women and a man were found guilty of performing witchcraft against a young woman.

A former parliamentary speaker, Herminie was charged with witchcraft in 2023 in what he said was a politically motivated attempt to thwart his presidential ambitions.

It was part arm-workout, part witchcraft—summoning wind on command—and part existential riddle.

He tells the BBC that his own arrest two years ago on suspicion of using witchcraft for political gain "shocked" him.

In addition to the two-year sentence they were given for "professing" witchcraft, the men were sentenced to six months in prison for possessing charms.