SEOUL — A coalition of international human rights organizations held a press conference at the Seoul Foreign Correspondents' Club on August 10, 2026, to raise concerns about freedom of religion or belief and freedom of expression in South Korea. The groups, including Human Rights Without Frontiers (HRWF), CAP Liberté de Conscience (CAP LC), FOREF, CESNUR, and Bitter Winter, focused on the treatment of elderly religious leaders in pretrial detention and broader patterns of religious minority scrutiny.
The organizations specifically called on South Korean authorities to review the detention of 95-year-old Shincheonji Chairman Lee Man-hee and 83-year-old Hak-ja Han Moon of the Family Federation. They argued that such detentions raise questions about proportionality, humanitarian considerations, and due process under South Korea's international human-rights obligations, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Convention against Torture, which the country ratified in 1990 and 1995, respectively.
Hans Noot, Associate Director of HRWF, opened the conference by stating that the issues at stake "lie at the heart of democratic society." He warned that when religious communities are stigmatized, peaceful gatherings are restricted, and dissent is treated as a problem to be contained, the consequences "extend far beyond any single group or case." Noot emphasized that the conference was not about defending any particular theology but 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, stressing that the presumption of innocence must prevail. He cited precedents from other democratic countries where alternative measures were used for elderly detainees, such as Cardinal Joseph Zen's release on bail in Hong Kong in 2022 and Vietnam's house arrest for Buddhist Patriarch Thich Quang Do.
Michael Langhans, Executive Director of FOREF Germany, presented a legal analysis questioning whether pretrial detention was necessary given the evidence already available for indictment and whether that evidence was gathered neutrally or through a narrative framing the defendant's community as a "sect" or "cult." He argued that the case raises broader questions about whether measures meant to protect fair elections can be applied without nullifying the constitutionally guaranteed right to freedom of religion.
Márk Nemes, Deputy Director of CESNUR, highlighted the global impact of the persecution, noting that recent scholarly investigations in Shincheonji congregations in Europe, Argentina, and Australia found a worrying increase in hostility toward the peaceful religious movement. He stressed that Shincheonji is a global movement with congregations worldwide, and the disproportionate persecution in South Korea affects the freedoms of expression and religion of its members 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. He argued 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 offence. He described the charges, tied to ordinary political participation by members of a religious minority, as "legally and conceptually overstretched" and warned that the case fits a broader pattern of pressure against minority faiths in the country.
The organizations also expressed concerns about ongoing harassment of Segero Church in Busan, even after Pastor Son Hyun-bo's release, and issues related to conscientious objection, a mosque project in Daegu, and religious accommodation in educational settings. HRWF has documented the imprisonment of hundreds of Jehovah's Witnesses as conscientious objectors in the past, and critics say the alternative civilian service introduced later is punitive, requiring 36 months in correctional facilities—twice the length of regular military service.
The groups called on South Korean authorities, the media, and the international community to examine these developments with close attention to due process, proportionality, and 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.
