The European Academy of Religion (EuARe) and other European scholars have strongly urged the South Korean government to release Lee Man-hee, the 95-year-old Chairman of Shincheonji Church of Jesus, who has been detained since June 24 on charges related to alleged mass voter registration. The scholars argue that detaining an elderly person for non-violent offenses contradicts international human rights standards and undermines South Korea's standing as a democracy.
At EuARe's Ninth Annual Conference in Rome on July 3, scholars discussed the case during a session titled 'Shincheonji, a Korean New Religion in Global Context.' Dr. Massimo Introvigne, a sociologist of religion and founder of the Center for Studies on New Religions (CESNUR), noted that European Union laws mandate that individuals over 80 should only be jailed exceptionally, and only for violent crimes. 'Here, of course, there are no blood crimes,' he said. 'What Korea is doing to this elderly religious leader is in violation of international law, including the United Nations' so-called Mandela Rules.'
Eric Roux, president of the European Interreligious Forum for Religious Freedom (EIFRF), echoed these concerns. 'A man of 95 years old being put in jail is not something that you can reconcile with the objective of respecting human dignity,' he stated, urging a swift review to avoid damage to South Korea's reputation. Human rights lawyer Alessandro Amicarelli, chairman of the European Federation for Freedom of Belief (FOB), described the detention as 'unthinkable' in a democracy and warned that South Korea appears to be departing from its own constitutional human rights foundations.
The allegations against Chairman Lee stem from a joint police-prosecution investigation, which claims that between July 2021 and January 2024, he directed approximately 50,000 church members to register with a particular political party. Shincheonji Church has denied the charges, asserting that members freely participated in political activities and that the church has cooperated fully with investigators. The church expressed regret that detaining a 95-year-old amounts to physical punishment.
International human rights organizations have also weighed in. United for Human Rights and Coordination des Associations et des Particuliers pour la Liberté de Conscience (CAP LC) submitted a joint statement to the 62nd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on May 25, warning that the situation has intensified and that framing political party registration as 'religion–politics collusion' violates the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). The statement noted that a December 2025 presidential order created a task force explicitly targeting Shincheonji and that senior officials have publicly called the church a 'criminal organization,' undermining the presumption of innocence.
Shincheonji Church emphasized that the detention has become an international human rights issue, with growing support from prominent figures. 'The prompt release of Chairman Lee is a matter of safeguarding freedom of religion and human rights, which are core values of democracy,' the church stated.
