European scholars of religion and human rights experts are urging the South Korean government to release Lee Man-hee, the 95-year-old Chairman of Shincheonji Church, who has been detained since June 24 on charges related to alleged political party registration. The detention has sparked international criticism, with experts saying it violates international law and undermines South Korea's democratic credentials.
Lee was indicted on June 29 on charges including violations of the Political Parties Act. The Joint Police–Prosecution Investigation Headquarters alleges that between July 2021 and January 2024, he directed the mass registration of approximately 50,000 church members into a particular political party. Shincheonji Church has denied the allegations, stating that individual members freely participated in political activities and that both Lee and the church have cooperated fully with the investigation. The church has expressed deep regret, saying that detaining an elderly man aged 95 amounts to physical punishment.
The European Academy of Religion (EuARe) addressed the situation at its Ninth Annual Conference in Rome on July 3, during a session titled "Shincheonji, a Korean New Religion in Global Context." Dr. Massimo Introvigne, a sociologist of religion and founder of the Center for Studies on New Religions (CESNUR), said that in all European Union countries, legislation mandates that those older than 80 should only exceptionally be jailed, and only for violent crimes. He added, "Here, of course, there are no blood crimes, and the accusations are violations of electoral law." Introvigne stated that the detention violates international law, including the United Nations' so-called Mandela Rules, which state that preliminary detention should generally not be applied to elderly prisoners. He called the situation "an unmitigated scandal, which hides a political and religious vendetta."
Eric Roux, President of the European Interreligious Forum for Religious Freedom (EIFRF), reiterated the injustice, saying, "A man of 95 years old being put in jail is not something that you can reconcile with the objective of respecting human dignity." He urged a swift review to avoid "something that would be very detrimental to the reputation of South Korea."
Human rights lawyer Alessandro Amicarelli, Chairman of the European Federation for Freedom of Belief (FOB), expressed shock, saying, "As a human rights lawyer, I always considered South Korea a true democracy where human rights are upheld like a foundation of the democracy. Unfortunately, what's happening now is truly shocking." He added that the detention looks like South Korea is departing from its own Constitution and human rights foundation.
The detention has also been raised at the United Nations. On May 25, the international human rights organizations United for Human Rights and Coordination des Associations et des Particuliers pour la Liberté de Conscience (CAP-LC) submitted a joint written statement to the 62nd session of the UN Human Rights Council. The statement noted that the situation has intensified in South Korea and that framing members' registration with a political party as evidence of "religion–politics collusion" is inconsistent with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The organizations also noted that senior officials have publicly referred to Shincheonji as a "criminal organization," which is incompatible with the presumption of innocence. They urged the South Korean government to reaffirm its commitment to freedom of religion, non-discrimination, and state neutrality.
Shincheonji Church said that support from international figures is mounting and that the prompt release of Chairman Lee is a matter of safeguarding freedom of religion and human rights. For more information, visit Shincheonji's official website.
