A bill to ban paid esoteric services has been submitted to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine

Draft law No. 15251 has been submitted to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine aimed at introducing administrative liability for providing paid services in the sphere of fortune-telling, magic, esotericism and occultism. The document also envisages a complete ban on advertising of such practices in order to strengthen the protection of citizens from the influence of destructive magical services.

According to Interfax-Ukraine, the author of the legislative initiative was an MP from the faction «Servant of the People» Georgiy Mazurashu. The proposed document provides for a new wording of Article 181 of the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses (CUoAP). According to the text of the draft, for the provision of paid esoteric services it is proposed to establish a fine of 1 to 2 thousand non-taxable minimum incomes of citizens with mandatory confiscation and subsequent disposal of all items used in this activity.

The explanatory note to the bill emphasizes that the main purpose of the proposed changes is to protect the population from the psychological and financial impact of occult practices. In case of repeated violation within a year, the sanctions are considerably toughened — the size of the fine may reach 12 thousand non-taxable minimums. At the moment the draft has been submitted for consideration to the specialized committee of the Parliament.

This initiative appeared against the background of active discussions in the Ukrainian media regarding the participation of representatives of esoteric circles in public politics. Despite the fact that official representatives of the authorities, including the Office of the President, categorically deny holding such consultations, the topic of state regulation of magical services remains in the center of public attention.

Earlier, former press secretary of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Yuliya Mendel, published a detailed article in which she claimed that the former head of the Presidential Office, Andriy Yermak, practiced magic rituals and used the services of foreign magicians. According to her, suspicions about Yermak included visits to a cemetery, communication with foreign sorcerers, and the use of artifacts such as dolls with water from corpses.