SEOUL — A coalition of international human rights organizations held a press conference at the Seoul Foreign Correspondents' Club on Friday to raise alarms over freedom of religion and expression in South Korea, focusing on the treatment of elderly religious leaders in pretrial detention. The event, organized by Human Rights Without Frontiers (HRWF) alongside CAP Liberté de Conscience, FOREF, CESNUR, and Bitter Winter, called on South Korean authorities to review the detention of 95-year-old Shincheonji Chairman Lee Man-hee and to ensure that legal and administrative responses to religious minorities remain neutral, proportionate, and consistent with the country's international human-rights obligations.
The press conference highlighted the case of Lee Man-hee, who remains in pretrial detention despite his advanced age and the non-violent nature of the charges against him. The organizations also expressed concern over 83-year-old Hak-ja Han Moon of the Family Federation, and pointed to ongoing issues such as the reported harassment of Segero Church in Busan, conscientious objection, and religious accommodation in educational settings. Over the past decades, HRWF has documented the imprisonment of hundreds of Jehovah's Witnesses as conscientious objectors, and critics argue that the alternative civilian service introduced later is punitive, requiring 36 months in correctional facilities—twice the length of regular military service.
Hans Noot, Associate Director of HRWF, opened the conference by stating that the issues at stake "lie at the heart of democratic society," warning that when religious communities are stigmatized and dissent is treated as a problem, the consequences "extend far beyond any single group or case." He emphasized that the conference was about "defending a principle: that fundamental rights apply equally to all."
Thierry Valle, President of CAP Liberté de Conscience, questioned the legality of Chairman Lee's detention under international law, referencing South Korea's ratification of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) in 1990 and the Convention against Torture in 1995. He stressed that the presumption of innocence must prevail and cited precedents such as Cardinal Joseph Zen's 2022 release on bail in Hong Kong and Vietnam's decision to place Buddhist Patriarch Thich Quang Do under house arrest as more proportionate alternatives.
Michael Langhans, Executive Director of FOREF Germany, presented a legal analysis questioning whether pretrial detention was necessary given the evidence, and whether that evidence was gathered neutrally rather than through a narrative framing the defendant's community as a "sect" or "cult." He argued that the case raises broader questions for lawmakers about whether measures meant to protect fair elections can be applied without nullifying the constitutionally and internationally guaranteed right to freedom of religion.
Márk Nemes, Deputy Director of CESNUR, shared findings from three recent scholarly investigations in Europe, Argentina, and Australia, which found a worrisome increase in hostility toward Shincheonji congregations abroad. He stressed that Shincheonji is a global religious movement, and that persecution in South Korea affects the freedoms of its members worldwide, which are protected under ICCPR Articles 18 and 19.
Massimo Introvigne, Managing Director of CESNUR and Editor-in-Chief of Bitter Winter, said South Korea "has crossed a worrying line" by arresting Chairman Lee, arguing that international standards such as the Mandela Rules would call for house arrest for a 95-year-old accused of a non-violent offence. He said the charges, tied to ordinary political participation by members of a religious minority, "appear legally and conceptually overstretched."
The organizations called on South Korean authorities, the media, and the international community to examine these developments with attention to due process, proportionality, and equal protection of fundamental rights. At the conclusion of the press conference, the scholars signed an official letter calling on the Government of the Republic of Korea to immediately release Chairman Lee from custody. The full proceedings of the press conference can be viewed on the HRWF YouTube channel.
