The European Academy of Religion (EuARe) and other international scholars have condemned the detention of 95-year-old Shincheonji Church Chairman Lee Man-hee, urging the South Korean government to release him immediately. Detained on June 24 and indicted on June 29 for allegedly directing mass party registration, Lee faces charges under the Political Parties Act. The Joint Police–Prosecution Investigation Headquarters claims that between July 2021 and January 2024, he orchestrated the enrollment of approximately 50,000 church members into a political party.
Shincheonji Church has denied these allegations, stating that members participated in political activities voluntarily and that Lee and the church cooperated fully with the investigation. The church expressed deep regret, arguing that detaining a 95-year-old amounts to physical punishment.
At EuARe's Ninth Annual Conference in Rome on July 3, European scholars addressed the case. Dr. Massimo Introvigne, sociologist of religion and founder of the Center for Studies on New Religions (CESNUR), remarked: "In all European Union countries, legislation mandates that those older than 80 should only exceptionally be put in jail; they should be under house arrest if needed, and only for violent crimes. Here, there are no blood crimes, and the accusations are violations of electoral law. What Korea is doing to this elderly religious leader is in violation of international law, including the United Nations' so-called Mandela Rules, which mandate that preliminary detention should be not the rule and only in exceptional cases applied to elderly prisoners. So what is happening is 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: "A man of 95 years old being put in jail is not something 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. I suggest this be reviewed very fast to avoid something detrimental to the reputation of South Korea. 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), expressed shock: "As a human rights lawyer, I always considered South Korea a true democracy where human rights are upheld. Unfortunately, what's happening now is truly shocking. We cannot accept that a religious leader in a democratic country, at age 95, has to be under this kind of pressure. 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 statement to the 62nd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council on May 25, assessing that the situation has intensified and noting that framing members' political registration as "religion–politics collusion" is inconsistent with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. They urged the 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 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."
