Tajik Mullah Jailed For Sexual Misconduct

The cleric was dubbed the 'Magic Mullah.'

A Tajik court has sentenced a village mullah to seven years in prison on sexual misconduct and fraud charges.

The court in the capital, Dushanbe, also ordered Asadullo Ibrohimov to pay nearly $3,000 in fines.

Ibrohimov, 46, was known in his native Luchob village, outside Dushanbe, for offering infertility treatment.
In Focus: 'Infertility Treatment' Lands Tajik Mullah In Court

He was arrested in September after a video appeared on YouTube depicting him fondling a woman while reciting verses from the Koran.

Tajikistan's Interior Ministry said in a statement that Ibrohimov "has taken advantage" of his female client's "vulnerable state of mind."

Ibrohimov denies the charges, saying he "might have undermined religious rules" but hasn't committed any crime according to Tajik laws.

His defense team accused the woman of provoking and blackmailing Ibrohimov. He is appealing the court ruling.