International human rights groups have voiced serious concerns over the treatment of elderly religious leaders in South Korea, calling for a review of pretrial detentions that they argue violate international law and humanitarian principles. At a press conference held on August 7 at the Seoul Foreign Correspondents' Club, Human Rights Without Frontiers (HRWF), CAP Liberté de Conscience (CAP LC), FOREF, CESNUR, and Bitter Winter highlighted the cases of 95-year-old Shincheonji Chairman Lee Man-hee and 83-year-old Hak-ja Han Moon of the Family Federation, among others.
The organizations urged South Korean authorities to ensure that legal and administrative responses to religious minorities remain neutral, proportionate, and consistent with the country's international human-rights obligations. They pointed to a broader pattern of freedom of religion or belief concerns, including ongoing harassment of Segero Church in Busan, conscientious objection issues, public hostility toward a mosque project in Daegu, and lack of religious accommodation in educational settings.
Hans Noot, associate director of HRWF, opened the conference by emphasizing that the issues at stake "lie at the heart of democratic society." He warned that stigmatizing religious communities and restricting peaceful gatherings have consequences that "extend far beyond any single group or case." He stressed that the conference was about defending the principle that fundamental rights apply equally to all.
Thierry Valle, president of CAP Liberté de Conscience, questioned the legality of Chairman Lee's detention under international law, referencing South Korea's ratification of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) in 1990 and the Convention against Torture in 1995. He argued that placing a 95-year-old in pretrial detention is disproportionate and violates the presumption of innocence. Valle cited precedents such as Cardinal Joseph Zen's release on bail in Hong Kong in 2022 and Vietnam's decision to place Buddhist Patriarch Thich Quang Do under house arrest as more humane alternatives.
Michael Langhans, executive director of FOREF Germany, presented a legal analysis questioning whether pretrial detention was necessary for Chairman Lee, given that evidence was already sufficient for an indictment. He also questioned whether the evidence was gathered neutrally or through a narrative framing the defendant's community as a "sect" or "cult." Langhans argued that the case raises broader questions for lawmakers about balancing election integrity with constitutionally guaranteed freedom of religion.
Márk Nemes, deputy director of CESNUR, highlighted the global impact of the persecution, noting recent scholarly investigations in Shincheonji congregations in Europe, Argentina, and Australia that found increased hostility toward the peaceful religious movement. He emphasized that Shincheonji is a global religious movement, and the disproportionate persecution in South Korea affects the rights of congregants abroad, as enshrined in ICCPR Articles 18 and 19.
Massimo Introvigne, managing director of CESNUR and editor-in-chief of Bitter Winter, said South Korea "has crossed a worrying line" by arresting Chairman Lee, arguing that international standards such as the Mandela Rules would call for house arrest rather than imprisonment for a 95-year-old accused of a non-violent offense. He described the charges as "legally and conceptually overstretched" and warned of a broader pattern of pressure against minority faiths.
The organizations called on South Korean authorities, the media, and the international community to examine these developments with close attention to due process, proportionality, and the equal protection of fundamental rights. At the conclusion of the press conference, the scholars signed an official letter calling on the government of the Republic of Korea to immediately release Chairman Lee from custody.
