International Rights Groups Urge South Korea to Uphold Religious Freedom and Due Process

International human rights groups are calling on South Korean authorities to review the pretrial detention of elderly religious leaders, warning that recent actions threaten freedom of religion and expression in the country. At a press conference held August 7 at the Seoul Foreign Correspondents' Club, Human Rights Without Frontiers (HRWF), CAP Liberté de Conscience (CAP LC), FOREF, CESNUR, and Bitter Winter jointly expressed concerns over the treatment of 95-year-old Shincheonji Chairman Lee Man-hee and 83-year-old Mrs. Hak-ja Han Moon of the Family Federation. The groups argue that the detentions raise questions of proportionality, humanitarian considerations, and due process under South Korea's international human-rights obligations.

The conference highlighted a broader pattern of freedom of religion or belief concerns in South Korea. These include persistent harassment of Segero Church in Busan even after Pastor Son Hyun-bo's release, issues surrounding conscientious objection, public hostility toward a mosque project in Daegu, and inadequate religious accommodation in educational settings. HRWF has documented the imprisonment of hundreds of Jehovah's Witnesses as conscientious objectors over the past decades. While alternative civilian service was introduced, critics argue it is implemented punitively, requiring 36 months of service in correctional facilities—twice the length of regular military service—and recent court decisions have upheld this system against constitutional challenges.

Opening the conference, Hans Noot, associate director of HRWF, emphasized that the issues at stake "lie at the heart of democratic society." He warned that when religious communities are stigmatized, peaceful gatherings are restricted, and dissent is treated as a problem to be contained, the consequences "extend far beyond any single group or case." Noot stressed 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 argued that placing a 95-year-old in pretrial detention is inconsistent with these obligations, and that the presumption of innocence must prevail. Valle 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 instead of prison, suggesting more humane alternatives exist.

Michael Langhans, executive director of FOREF Germany, presented a legal analysis questioning whether pretrial detention for Chairman Lee was necessary given sufficient evidence for indictment, and whether that evidence was gathered neutrally rather than through a narrative framing the defendant's community as a "sect" or "cult." He argued 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, discussed the effects of ongoing persecution on minority faiths, noting three recent scholarly investigations in Shincheonji congregations in Europe, Argentina, and Australia that found a worrisome increase in hostility toward the peaceful and cooperative religious movement. He stressed that Shincheonji is a global religious movement, and disproportionate persecution in South Korea affects congregants abroad, whose freedoms are enshrined in 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 rather than imprisonment for a 95-year-old accused of a non-violent offense. He described the charges, tied to ordinary political participation by members of a religious minority, as "legally and conceptually overstretched," and warned of a broader pattern of pressure against minority faiths.

The organizations called on South Korean authorities, the media, and the international community to examine these developments with close attention to due process, proportionality, and the 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.