SEOUL -- Human Rights Without Frontiers (HRWF), alongside CAP Liberté de Conscience (CAP LC), FOREF, CESNUR, and Bitter Winter, convened a press conference at the Seoul Foreign Correspondents' Club to address freedom of religion or belief and freedom of expression in South Korea. The organizations highlighted the detention of 95-year-old Shincheonji Chairman Lee Man-hee and 83-year-old Hak-ja Han Moon of the Family Federation, questioning the proportionality and humanitarian aspects of their pretrial confinement.
The conference underscored a broader pattern of religious freedom concerns in the country. Reports of ongoing harassment of Segero Church in Busan, even after Pastor Son Hyun-bo's release, and public hostility toward a mosque project in Daegu were cited. The organizations also noted concerns about conscientious objection, with critics arguing that the alternative civilian service for Jehovah's Witnesses is punitive, requiring 36 months of service in correctional facilities, twice the length of regular military service.
Hans Noot, Associate Director of HRWF, opened the conference by emphasizing that the issues at stake "lie at the heart of democratic society." He warned that stigmatizing religious communities and restricting peaceful gatherings have consequences that "extend far beyond any single group or case." The conference aimed not to defend any particular theology but to uphold the principle that fundamental rights apply equally to all.
Thierry Valle, President of CAP Liberté de Conscience, questioned whether detaining a 95-year-old is consistent with South Korea's obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention against Torture. He stressed that the presumption of innocence must prevail, citing precedents such as Cardinal Joseph Zen's release on bail in Hong Kong and Vietnam's house arrest of Buddhist Patriarch Thich Quang Do as more humane alternatives.
Michael Langhans, Executive Director of FOREF Germany, presented a legal analysis questioning the necessity of pretrial detention for Chairman Lee, given that evidence may already be sufficient for indictment. He argued that the case raises broader questions about whether election-related measures can be applied without nullifying the constitutionally and internationally guaranteed right to freedom of religion.
Márk Nemes, Deputy Director of CESNUR, shared findings from recent scholarly investigations in Shincheonji congregations in Europe, Argentina, and Australia, noting a worrying increase in hostility toward the peaceful religious movement. He emphasized that Shincheonji is a global movement, and disproportionate persecution in South Korea affects congregants abroad, whose rights under ICCPR Articles 18 and 19 are inalienable.
Massimo Introvigne, Managing Director of CESNUR and Editor-in-Chief of Bitter Winter, stated that South Korea "has crossed a worrying line" by arresting Chairman Lee. He argued that international standards like 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 as "legally and conceptually overstretched" and part of a broader pattern of pressure against minority faiths.
The organizations called on South Korean authorities, the media, and the international community to examine these developments with 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 for Chairman Lee's immediate release.
