The detention of 95-year-old Lee Man-hee, Chairman of the Shincheonji Church, has drawn sharp criticism from European scholars of religion and human rights experts, who are calling for his immediate release. 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 has maintained that individual members freely participated in political activities and that both Lee and the church have cooperated fully with the investigation, including during searches and seizures. The church expressed deep regret, stating that detaining a 95-year-old man amounts to physical punishment.
During the Ninth Annual Conference of the European Academy of Religion (EuARe) held in Rome on July 3, scholars addressed the situation. Dr. Massimo Introvigne, sociologist of religion and founder of the Center for Studies on New Religions (CESNUR), noted that in all European Union countries, legislation mandates that those over 80 should only exceptionally be jailed, and only for violent crimes. He argued that the accusations against Lee are non-violent electoral law violations, making his detention a violation of international law, including the United Nations' Mandela Rules, which stipulate that preliminary detention should be exceptional, especially for the elderly. He called the situation "an unmitigated scandal" hiding "a political and religious vendetta."
Eric Roux, President of the European Interreligious Forum for Religious Freedom (EIFRF), echoed these sentiments, stating that imprisoning a 95-year-old is irreconcilable with human dignity, regardless of the allegations. He urged South Korea to review the case quickly to avoid damaging its reputation.
Human rights lawyer Alessandro Amicarelli, Chairman of the European Federation for Freedom of Belief (FOB), expressed shock, saying that South Korea appears to be departing from its constitutional and human rights foundations. He pledged support for Shincheonji in its fight against abuse and persecution.
The detention has also been raised as an international human rights issue at the United Nations. 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 UN Human Rights Council on May 25 (Document No. A/HRC/62/NGO/236), asserting that framing members' political party registration as "religion-politics collusion" is inconsistent with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). They also noted that senior officials have publicly referred to Shincheonji as a "criminal organization," violating the presumption of innocence, and urged the South Korean government to reaffirm its commitment to freedom of religion and state neutrality.
Shincheonji Church stated that "support and petitions from prominent figures in the international community" are increasing, and that "the prompt release of Chairman Lee is a matter of safeguarding freedom of religion and human rights, which are core values of democracy."
