European scholars of religion and human rights experts are making strong appeals to the South Korean government to release Lee Man-hee, the 95-year-old Chairman of Shincheonji Church of Jesus, who remains in detention on charges including violations of the Political Parties Act. The detention, which began on June 24, has drawn international criticism for its treatment of an elderly religious leader over non-violent allegations.
Dr. Massimo Introvigne, a sociologist of religion and founder of the Center for Studies on New Religions (CESNUR), commented during the Ninth Annual Conference of the European Academy of Religion (EuARe) in Rome, stating that detaining a person over 80 is exceptional in European Union countries and typically reserved for violent crimes. He noted that the accusations against Lee involve electoral law violations, not blood crimes. Introvigne said, "What Korea is doing to this elderly religious leader is in violation of international law, including the United Nations' so-called Mandela Rules, which mandate that preliminary detention should be, in general, not the rule, and only in an extremely limited number of exceptional cases may be applied to elderly prisoners."
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. Even if what you pretend he has done is true, you would not put a man of this age in prison." 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 concern, citing South Korea's democratic tradition. "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 said. "We cannot accept that a religious leader in a democratic country, at the age of 95, has to be under this kind of pressure."
The detention stems from allegations that between July 2021 and January 2024, Lee directed the mass registration of approximately 50,000 church members into a particular political party. Shincheonji Church has stated that individual members freely participated in political activities and that both Lee and the church have cooperated with the investigation. The church expressed deep regret, noting that detaining a 95-year-old amounts to physical punishment.
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 United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on May 25. The statement, circulated on June 10 (A/HRC/62/NGO/236), assessed that the situation has intensified in South Korea and noted that framing members' political party registration as "religion–politics collusion" is inconsistent with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). The organizations urged the South Korean government to reaffirm its commitment to freedom of religion, non-discrimination, and state neutrality.
Shincheonji Church noted that support and petitions from international figures are growing, increasing pressure on the South Korean government and judiciary. The church stated that the prompt release of Chairman Lee is a matter of safeguarding freedom of religion and human rights, core values of democracy.
