Reported by: Prince Saah
Monrovia, Liberia – The detention of 95-year-old Shincheonji Church Chairman Lee Man-hee, has triggered growing international criticism, with prominent European scholars, human rights advocates and religious freedom organizations accusing South Korea of violating international human rights standards and calling for his immediate release.
Religious scholars signing an appeal requesting an end to Chairman Lee’s detention
According to a release dated July 10, 2026, Lee was detained on June 24, 2026 and formally indicted on June 29, 2026, over allegations that he directed the mass registration of about 50,000 church members into a political party between July 2021 and January 2024, in violation of South Korea’s Political Parties Act.
However, Shincheonji Church has rejected the allegations, insisting that its members exercised their individual political rights independently and that neither the church nor its chairman orchestrated the registrations. The church also maintains that it fully cooperated with investigators throughout the probe, including searches and seizures.
Moreover, the controversy gained international attention during the Ninth Annual Conference of the European Academy of Religion (EuARe), held in Rome, Italy, where scholars specializing in religious studies devoted a session to Shincheonji Church and expressed concern over Lee’s continued detention.
Speaking, Dr. Massimo Introvigne, founder and managing director of the Center for Studies on New Religions (CESNUR), described the detention as inconsistent with international human rights standards.
According to Introvigne, most European Union countries rarely imprison individuals over the age of 80 before trial, except in exceptional circumstances involving violent crimes; arguing that Lee’s case, involving non-violent electoral allegations, fails to meet those standards.
He further contended that the detention violates the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, commonly known as the Mandela Rules, which encourage limited use of pretrial detention, particularly for elderly persons.
Also, Eric Roux, President of the European Interreligious Forum for Religious Freedom (EIFRF), condemned the imprisonment of the elderly religious leader, saying detaining a 95-year-old man is incompatible with respect for human dignity and warning that the case could damage South Korea’s international reputation.
For his part, Human rights lawyer Alessandro Amicarelli, Chairman of the European Federation for Freedom of Belief (FOB), expressed disappointment, stating that South Korea has long been regarded as a democratic nation committed to protecting fundamental rights.
He warned that the treatment of Lee raises serious questions about the country’s adherence to its constitutional principles and pledged support for Shincheonji’s campaign against what he described as religious persecution.
Meanwhile, Shincheonji Church said the case has evolved beyond a domestic legal matter into an international human rights concern.
The church pointed to a joint written statement submitted by United for Human Rights and the Coordination of Associations and Individuals for Freedom of Conscience (CAP-LC) to the 62nd Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council.
The organizations argued that treating church members’ political party registrations as evidence of collusion between religion and politics conflicts with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which guarantees citizens the right to participate in political life.
The statement also expressed concern over the establishment of a joint police-prosecutor task force allegedly targeting Shincheonji Church and criticized public remarks by senior officials referring to the church as a “criminal organization,” saying such statements undermine the presumption of innocence.
Shincheonji said international support for Chairman Lee continues to grow and maintained that his release has become a broader issue concerning religious freedom, human rights and democratic values, urging South Korean authorities to free the elderly religious leader without delay.
