The detention of Lee Man-hee, the 95-year-old Chairman of Shincheonji Church, has sparked international outcry from European scholars of religion and human rights experts, who are calling on South Korea to release him. The scholars argue that the detention, based on charges including violations of the Political Parties Act, contravenes international standards for the treatment of elderly detainees and undermines democratic values.
Chairman Lee was detained on June 24 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 political party. Shincheonji Church has denied the allegations, stating that individual members freely participated in political activities and that the church has cooperated fully with investigators.
At the Ninth Annual Conference of the European Academy of Religion (EuARe) in Rome on July 3, scholars addressed the case. 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, and only for violent crimes. Here, of course, there are no blood crimes. What Korea is doing violates international law, including the United Nations' Mandela Rules, which mandate that preliminary detention should be the exception, not the rule, for elderly prisoners.'
Eric Roux, President of the European Interreligious Forum for Religious Freedom (EIFRF), echoed these concerns: 'A man of 95 years old being put in jail is not something you can reconcile with respecting human dignity. I suggest this be reviewed very fast to avoid something detrimental to South Korea's reputation. Please, get that man out of jail and do it now.'
Human rights lawyer Alessandro Amicarelli, Chairman of the European Federation for Freedom of Belief (FOB), described the detention as 'unthinkable in a democratic country.' He noted, 'As a human rights lawyer, I always considered South Korea a true democracy. Unfortunately, what's happening now is shocking. It looks like South Korea is departing from its own Constitution and human rights foundation.'
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. The statement assessed that 'the situation has intensified' in South Korea and noted that framing members' political registration as 'religion–politics collusion' is inconsistent with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. They also highlighted that senior 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 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.'
