A European nongovernmental organization has brought the case of a 95-year-old religious leader detained in South Korea to the United Nations Human Rights Council, alleging a politically motivated investigation and inhumane prison conditions that violate international law.
On September 18, 2026, CAP Freedom of Conscience delivered an oral statement during the general debate under Item 3 of the Human Rights Council’s 63rd session, which focuses on the promotion and protection of all human rights. The statement raises the case of Chairman Lee Man-hee, the founder and leader of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus and a veteran of the Korean War. Lee is currently held in pretrial detention at the Seoul Detention Center on non-violent charges.
CAP Freedom of Conscience, a secular European NGO with UN consultative status, expressed serious concern over what it describes as a politically driven and discriminatory investigation targeting a religious minority, as well as the conditions of Lee’s detention. Despite having a fixed residence and posing no flight risk, Lee was held in cells without air conditioning during Seoul’s most severe heatwave, raising grave concerns for the health of a 95-year-old detainee.
The organization argues that such treatment runs counter to South Korea’s international obligations. It cites Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which requires detention to be necessary and proportionate; Article 10, which guarantees humane treatment; the Nelson Mandela Rules, which entitle detainees to healthcare equivalent to that available in the community; the Tokyo Rules, which make pretrial detention a measure of last resort; and Article 18, which protects freedom of religion or belief—a right CAP Freedom of Conscience considers disregarded in this case.
CAP Freedom of Conscience is urging the Human Rights Council to call on the Republic of Korea to honor its treaty obligations by offering alternatives to detention, allowing an independent medical assessment, and ensuring a fair and impartial trial.
The case highlights growing international scrutiny of South Korea’s treatment of religious minorities and the use of pretrial detention for elderly, non-violent defendants. It also underscores the broader role of UN mechanisms in holding member states accountable to their human rights commitments. The organization’s intervention at the Human Rights Council places the issue on the international agenda, potentially increasing pressure on South Korean authorities to review the detention and ensure Lee receives appropriate medical care and a fair legal process.
CAP Freedom of Conscience, created in 1995, is dedicated to protecting the right to freedom of religion and belief. It combats all forms of discrimination based on religion or belief by alerting European and international bodies. The NGO collects testimonies of discrimination and human rights violations affecting religious or belief communities to disseminate them to international bodies, raise awareness, and generate debate on the protection of freedom of religion and belief. It also advocates for any religious or spiritual group facing discrimination to have their right to freedom of religion and belief recognized.
CAP Freedom of Conscience is a member of the European Federation for Freedom of Belief (FOB), the European Network of Religion and Belief (ENORB), and participates in the Civil Society Platform of Fundamental Rights created by the EU Fundamental Rights Agency.
