European scholars of religion and human rights experts are urging the South Korean government to release Shincheonji Church Chairman Lee Man-hee, 95, who has been detained since June 24 on charges related to alleged violations of the Political Parties Act. The detention has sparked international criticism, with experts warning it could damage South Korea's reputation as a democracy committed to human rights.
Chairman Lee was indicted on June 30 on charges that he directed the mass registration of approximately 50,000 church members into a particular political party between July 2021 and January 2024. Shincheonji Church has denied the allegations, stating that individual members freely participated in political activities and that both Chairman Lee and the church have fully cooperated with the investigation. The church expressed deep regret, describing the detention of a 95-year-old as a form of physical punishment.
At the Ninth Annual Conference of the European Academy of Religion (EuARe) held in Rome on July 3, scholars addressed the situation in a session titled "Shincheonji, a Korean New Religion in Global Context." Dr. Massimo Introvigne, sociologist of religion and founder of the Center for Studies on New Religions (CESNUR), criticized the detention, stating that European Union laws generally prohibit jailing individuals over 80 except for violent crimes. "Here, of course, there are no blood crimes, and the accusations are violations of electoral law," he said. Dr. Introvigne added that the detention violates international law, including the United Nations' Mandela Rules, which discourage preliminary detention for elderly prisoners, calling it "an unmitigated scandal, which hides a political and religious vendetta."
Eric Roux, president of the European Interreligious Forum for Religious Freedom (EIFRF), echoed these sentiments, 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 damage to South Korea's reputation.
Human rights lawyer Alessandro Amicarelli, chairman of the European Federation for Freedom of Belief (FOB), expressed shock, noting that he had always considered South Korea a true democracy where human rights are foundational. "Unfortunately, what's happening now is truly shocking," he said, adding that the detention appears to depart from South Korea's own Constitution and human rights commitments.
Shincheonji Church emphasized that the issue has escalated beyond academic interest to an international human rights concern. On May 25, international 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 United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), assessing that the situation in South Korea has intensified. The statement noted that framing members' political registration as "religion-politics collusion" is inconsistent with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which guarantees the right to participate in political life. The organizations also highlighted that a joint police-prosecutor task force was created explicitly targeting Shincheonji, and senior officials have publicly referred to the church as a "criminal organization," undermining the presumption of innocence.
Shincheonji Church stated that as international support and petitions grow, pressure on the South Korean government and judiciary is mounting. "The prompt release of Chairman Lee is a matter of safeguarding freedom of religion and human rights, which are core values of democracy," the church said. More information is available at Shincheonji Church website and SCJ TV Global.
