The detention of Lee Man-hee, the 95-year-old chairman of the Shincheonji Church, has drawn sharp criticism from European scholars of religion and human rights experts, who are urging the South Korean government to release him immediately. They argue that holding such an elderly individual on non-violent charges violates international law and undermines the country’s democratic principles.
Lee was detained on June 24 on charges including violations of the Political Parties Act and was indicted on June 29. 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. In response, Shincheonji Church stated that individual members freely participated in political activities and that both Lee and the church have cooperated fully with the investigation. The church expressed deep regret, stating that detaining a man of Lee’s age amounts to a form of physical punishment.
The European Academy of Religion (EuARe) addressed the situation during its Ninth Annual Conference in Rome on July 3, in a session titled “Shincheonji, a Korean New Religion in Global Context.” Dr. Massimo Introvigne, sociologist of religion and founder of the Center for Studies on New Religions (CESNUR), commented: “In all European Union countries, legislation mandates that those older than 80, only exceptionally, should be put in jail; they should be under house arrest if needed, and only for violent crimes, if there is a risk of actual violence connected with blood crimes. Here, of course, there are no blood crimes, and the accusations are violations of electoral law.” He further stated that the detention violates the United Nations’ Mandela Rules, which stipulate that preliminary detention should be exceptional, especially 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), echoed these sentiments: “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 as is the case now.” He urged a swift review, warning that the situation could be “very detrimental to the reputation of South Korea.”
Human rights lawyer Alessandro Amicarelli, chairman of the European Federation for Freedom of Belief (FOB), expressed shock at the detention, noting that he always considered South Korea a true democracy where human rights are upheld. “What we’re seeing right now … it looks like South Korea is departing from its own Constitution, its own human rights foundation,” he said. He affirmed his support for Shincheonji in its fight against abuse and persecution.
The case has also been raised at the United Nations. 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 UN Human Rights Council, assessing that “the situation has intensified” in South Korea. They noted that framing members’ political registration as evidence of “religion–politics collusion” is inconsistent with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). They also highlighted that senior officials have publicly referred to Shincheonji as a “criminal organization,” which they said is incompatible with the presumption of innocence.
Shincheonji Church noted that international support for Lee’s release is growing, and emphasized that his prompt release is a matter of safeguarding freedom of religion and human rights, core values of democracy. For more information, visit the church’s official websites: Shincheonji.org and SCJ TV Global.
