European scholars of religion are calling on 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 violations of the Political Parties Act. The scholars argue that detaining an elderly person for non-violent offenses contradicts international legal standards and undermines South Korea's democratic standing.
At the Ninth Annual Conference of the European Academy of Religion (EuARe) held in Rome on July 3, a session titled "Shincheonji, a Korean New Religion in Global Context" addressed the situation. Dr. Massimo Introvigne, a sociologist of religion and founder of the Center for Studies on New Religions (CESNUR), stated that European Union legislation generally prohibits imprisoning individuals over 80 except for violent crimes. He noted, "Here, of course, there are no blood crimes, and the accusations are violations of electoral law." Introvigne asserted that the detention violates the United Nations' Mandela Rules, which stipulate that pretrial detention should be exceptional and rarely applied to elderly prisoners. He described the case as "an unmitigated scandal, which hides a political and religious vendetta."
Eric Roux, president of the European Interreligious Forum for Religious Freedom (EIFRF), echoed these concerns, 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 prevent 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 South Korea has traditionally been seen as a democracy upholding human rights. He warned that the country appears to be departing from its constitutional foundations and pledged support for Shincheonji against what he called abuse and persecution.
The detention stems from allegations that Chairman Lee directed the mass registration of approximately 50,000 church members into a political party between July 2021 and January 2024. Shincheonji Church has denied the claims, stating that individual members freely participated in political activities and that the church cooperated fully with the investigation. The church expressed deep regret, arguing that detaining a 95-year-old amounts to physical punishment.
International human rights organizations have also weighed in. 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). The statement assessed that the situation has intensified in South Korea and argued that framing members' political registration as evidence of "religion–politics collusion" is inconsistent with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). The organizations noted 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. They urged the South Korean government to reaffirm its commitment to freedom of religion, non-discrimination, and state neutrality.
Shincheonji Church emphasized that the detention has become an international human rights issue, with growing support and petitions from prominent figures. The church stated, "The prompt release of Chairman Lee is a matter of safeguarding freedom of religion and human rights, which are core values of democracy." More information is available on the Shincheonji Church website at https://www.shincheonji.org/en and SCJ TV at https://www.scjtvglobal.com.
