Seychelles opposition leader Patrick Herminie has asserted that he is being targeted in a politically motivated smear campaign after he was charged with witchcraft.

A medical doctor by profession and former speaker of Seychelles' parliament, Mr Herminie is currently out on bail.

The charges stem from the discovery of two exhumed bodies at a cemetery on the island of Mahé.

In an interview with the BBC's Focus on Africa Podcast, Mr Herminie said: "This is politically motivated. It's a political witch hunt. We've never been charged or even accused by the police of anything associated with the two bodies. The two bodies have not come up at all during the investigation."

The prosecution alleges that Mr Herminie's name appeared in a WhatsApp conversation between a Seychellois national and a Tanzanian suspect, who was apprehended on 2 September at the main international airport.

Mr Herminie also recounted a recent incident in which his office was raided.

He told the BBC's Richard Kagoe that 40 to 50 police officers stormed his office on Friday armed with pistols and AK-47s.

"They came with a warrant from the court requesting that my office be searched for satanic and demonic artefacts," he said.

Witchcraft holds a significant position in the culture of Seychelles, serving not only as a means of healing but also as a way of life.

According to Deqa Barrow from BBC Monitoring, "it's deeply interwoven with their social, political, and economic cultures".

The Seychelles government has enacted measures to address witchcraft, including an anti-witchcraft law that criminalises promoting, practicing, or consulting with witch doctors.

A hearing is scheduled for 3 November.