Human Rights Without Frontiers (HRWF), along with CAP Liberté de Conscience (CAP LC), FOREF, CESNUR, and Bitter Winter, convened a press conference on August 7 at the Seoul Foreign Correspondents' Club to address freedom of religion or belief and freedom of expression in South Korea. The event highlighted concerns over the pretrial detention of elderly religious leaders, emphasizing proportionality, humanitarian considerations, and due process.
The organizations 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 South Korea's international human-rights obligations. They also raised concerns about 83-year-old Hak-ja Han Moon of the Family Federation.
These issues are part of a broader pattern of religious freedom concerns in South Korea. The Segero Church in Busan has reportedly faced continued harassment and official scrutiny even after Pastor Son Hyun-bo's release. Additional concerns include conscientious objection, public hostility toward a mosque project in Daegu, and religious accommodation in education. HRWF has documented the imprisonment of hundreds of Jehovah's Witnesses as conscientious objectors, and while alternative civilian service was introduced, critics argue it is punitive, requiring 36 months of service in correctional facilities—twice the length of regular military service.
Hans Noot, associate director of HRWF, opened the conference by stating that the issues "lie at the heart of democratic society," warning that stigmatizing religious communities and restricting peaceful gatherings have consequences that "extend far beyond any single group or case." He emphasized that the conference was about defending the 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 (1990) and the Convention against Torture (1995). He argued that placing a 95-year-old in pretrial detention may violate these obligations, stressing that the presumption of innocence must prevail. He cited precedents such as Cardinal Joseph Zen's release on bail in Hong Kong and Vietnam's house arrest for Buddhist Patriarch Thich Quang Do.
Michael Langhans, executive director of FOREF Germany, presented a legal analysis questioning the necessity of pretrial detention for Chairman Lee, given that evidence may already be sufficient for indictment. He raised concerns about whether evidence was gathered neutrally or through a narrative framing the community as a "sect" or "cult." He argued that the case poses a broader question for lawmakers: whether measures meant to protect fair elections can be applied without nullifying the right to freedom of religion.
Márk Nemes, deputy director of CESNUR, discussed the global impact of persecution on minority faiths, noting recent scholarly investigations in Shincheonji congregations in Europe, Argentina, and Australia that found increased hostility toward the peaceful movement. He stressed that Shincheonji is a global religious movement, and disproportionate persecution in South Korea affects the rights of congregants abroad, as protected by 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 like the Mandela Rules call for house arrest rather than imprisonment for a 95-year-old accused of a non-violent offense. He described the charges as "legally and conceptually overstretched" and linked to ordinary political participation by members of a religious minority.
The organizations urged 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, scholars signed a letter calling on the government to release Chairman Lee immediately.
