The detention of Lee Man-hee, the 95-year-old Chairman of Shincheonji Church, is drawing sharp criticism from European scholars of religion and human rights experts, who are urging the South Korean government to release him. The case, which has escalated into an international human rights issue, raises questions about the treatment of elderly detainees and the protection of religious freedom in a democratic society.
Lee was detained on 24 June on charges including violations of the Political Parties Act and was indicted on 29 June. 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 Chairman Lee and the church have cooperated fully with the investigation. The church expressed deep regret, saying that detaining an elderly man of 95 amounts to a form of physical punishment.
The European Academy of Religion (EuARe), a non-profit academic network, held its Ninth Annual Conference in Rome on 3 July, where the situation was addressed. During a session titled "Shincheonji, a Korean New Religion in Global Context," scholars presented academic papers and shared the recent developments in South Korea. Dr. Massimo Introvigne, a sociologist of religion and Founder and Managing Director of the Center for Studies on New Religions (CESNUR), stated, "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 asserted that the detention violates international law, including the United Nations' Mandela Rules, which stipulate that preliminary detention should be exceptional and rarely applied to elderly prisoners. He called the situation "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, saying, "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 to avoid damage to South Korea's reputation, concluding, "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), expressed shock, noting that South Korea has long been considered a true democracy. "We cannot accept that a religious leader in a democratic country, at the age of 95, has to be under this kind of pressure," he said. He warned that the country appears to be departing from its own Constitution and human rights foundations.
The detention has also drawn attention from 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 25 May, assessing that "the situation has intensified" in South Korea and noting that framing members' registration with a political party as evidence of "religion–politics collusion" is inconsistent with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). The organizations also highlighted that senior officials have publicly referred to Shincheonji as a "criminal organization," which undermines the presumption of innocence, and urged the government to reaffirm its commitment to freedom of religion and state neutrality.
Shincheonji Church noted that "As support and petitions from prominent figures in the international community continue to grow regarding the detention of Chairman Lee Man-hee, pressure on the South Korean government and the judiciary is also mounting." The church emphasized that "The prompt release of Chairman Lee is a matter of safeguarding freedom of religion and human rights, which are core values of democracy."
