European scholars of religion are calling on the South Korean government to release Lee Man-hee, the 95-year-old Chairman of Shincheonji Church, who has been detained since June 24 on charges related to alleged violations of the Political Parties Act. The scholars argue that detaining a person of such advanced age for non-violent accusations contravenes international law and undermines South Korea's standing as a democracy.
At the European Academy of Religion (EuARe) Ninth Annual Conference in Rome on July 3, scholars presented papers on Shincheonji and addressed Lee's detention. 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... Here, of course, there are no blood crimes, and the accusations are violations of electoral law." He added that the detention violates the United Nations' Mandela Rules, which limit preliminary detention for elderly prisoners. Eric Roux, president of the European Interreligious Forum for Religious Freedom (EIFRF), described the situation as an injustice, 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."
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 democracy where human rights are foundational. "Unfortunately, what's happening now is truly shocking... We cannot accept that a religious leader in a democratic country, at the age of 95, has to be under this kind of pressure." Shincheonji Church stated that the detention has become an international human rights issue, with organizations such as United for Human Rights and Coordination des Associations et des Particuliers pour la Liberté de Conscience (CAP-LC) submitting a joint statement to the United Nations Human Rights Council on May 25. The statement (Document No. A/HRC/62/NGO/236) assessed that the situation has intensified and noted that framing members' political party registration as evidence of "religion–politics collusion" is inconsistent with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
The church emphasized that the prompt release of Chairman Lee is essential to safeguarding freedom of religion and human rights. For more information, visit Shincheonji Church or SCJ TV Global.
