European scholars of religion and human rights experts have condemned the detention of 95-year-old Shincheonji Church Chairman Lee Man-hee, urging the South Korean government to release him immediately. The scholars argue that detaining an elderly person over non-violent allegations violates international law and undermines South Korea's democratic credentials.
Chairman Lee was detained on June 24 on charges including violations of the Political Parties Act and indicted on June 30. 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 stated that individual members freely participated in political activities and that both Chairman Lee and the church have cooperated fully with the investigation.
At the European Academy of Religion (EuARe) Ninth Annual Conference in Rome on July 3, scholars addressed the situation. Dr. Massimo Introvigne, a sociologist of religion and founder of the Center for Studies on New Religions (CESNUR), stated: "In all European Union countries, legislation mandates that those older than 80 should only exceptionally be put in jail; they should be under house arrest if needed, and only for violent crimes. Here, there are no blood crimes, and the accusations are violations of electoral law." He added that the detention violates the United Nations' Mandela Rules, which limit 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), reiterated the injustice: "A man of 95 years old being put in jail is not something that you can reconcile with respecting human dignity. Even if what you pretend he has done is true, you would not put a man of this age in prison. I suggest this be reviewed very fast to avoid something detrimental to the reputation of South Korea."
Human rights lawyer Alessandro Amicarelli, Chairman of the European Federation for Freedom of Belief (FOB), expressed concern: "I always considered South Korea a true democracy where human rights are upheld. Unfortunately, what's happening now is shocking. We cannot accept that a religious leader in a democratic country at age 95 has to be under this kind of pressure. It looks like South Korea is departing from its own Constitution."
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 (Document No. A/HRC/62/NGO/236). They assessed that the situation has intensified and noted that framing members' political registration as "religion–politics collusion" is inconsistent with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). The statement also highlighted that South Korean officials have publicly referred to Shincheonji as a "criminal organization," incompatible with the presumption of innocence.
Shincheonji Church emphasized that the detention has become an international human rights issue, with growing support from global figures. The church stated, "The prompt release of Chairman Lee is a matter of safeguarding freedom of religion and human rights." For more information, visit the official websites: Shincheonji Church and SCJ TV Global.
