The detention of Shincheonji Church Chairman Lee Man-hee, aged 95, has drawn sharp criticism from European scholars of religion and human rights experts, who say the action violates international law and tarnishes South Korea's reputation as a democracy. Lee was detained on June 24 on charges including violations of the Political Parties Act and indicted on June 29. The Joint Police–Prosecution Investigation Headquarters alleges that between July 2021 and January 2024, Lee directed the mass registration of approximately 50,000 church members into a particular political party. Shincheonji Church maintains that members freely participated in political activities and that Lee and the church have cooperated fully with the investigation.
At the Ninth Annual Conference of the European Academy of Religion (EuARe) held in Rome on July 3, scholars addressed the situation. 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; 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 is in violation of international law, including the United Nations' Mandela Rules, which mandate that preliminary detention should be the exception, especially for elderly prisoners. This is an unmitigated scandal that hides a political and religious vendetta."
Eric Roux, President of the European Interreligious Forum for Religious Freedom (EIFRF), echoed these sentiments, saying, "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. Please, get that man out of jail and do it now."
Human rights lawyer Alessandro Amicarelli, who serves as Chairman of the European Federation for Freedom of Belief (FOB), expressed shock, stating, "As a human rights lawyer, I always considered South Korea a true democracy where human rights are upheld. 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. South Korea appears to be departing from its own Constitution and human rights foundation. I support Shincheonji in the fight against abuse and persecution."
The detention has escalated beyond academic circles to become an international human rights issue. On May 25, United for Human Rights and the 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), document number A/HRC/62/NGO/236. The statement argued that framing members' political party registration as "religion–politics collusion" is inconsistent with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which guarantees every citizen the right to participate in political life. It also noted that senior officials have publicly referred to Shincheonji as a "criminal organization," which violates the presumption of innocence. The organizations urged the South Korean government to reaffirm its commitment to freedom of religion, non-discrimination, and state neutrality.
Shincheonji Church emphasized that support and petitions from international figures are growing, putting pressure on the South Korean government and judiciary. 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." The case highlights the tension between state actions and international human rights norms, and the potential consequences for a nation's global standing.
