SEOUL, South Korea — International human rights and religious-freedom organisations have raised concerns over freedom of religion and expression in South Korea, with particular attention to the pretrial detention of 95-year-old Shincheonji Church Chairman Lee Man-hee.
The concerns were raised on Friday, August 7, at a press conference held at the Seoul Foreign Correspondents’ Club by Human Rights Without Frontiers (HRWF), CAP Liberté de Conscience (CAP LC), FOREF, CESNUR and Bitter Winter.
The organisations questioned whether the continued detention of Lee, who is facing criminal proceedings, is proportionate given his advanced age and called on South Korean authorities to consider alternative measures that would respect due process and the presumption of innocence.
Thierry Valle, president of CAP Liberté de Conscience, said South Korea’s obligations under international human rights law should be considered in assessing Lee’s detention.
South Korea ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) in 1990 and the Convention against Torture in 1995.
Valle argued that there are less restrictive measures that could be used in cases involving elderly defendants, pointing to bail and house arrest as examples used in other jurisdictions.
Hans Noot, associate director of HRWF, said the concerns raised at the conference went beyond the case of one religious leader.
He said the organisations were seeking to defend the principle that fundamental rights should apply equally to all religious communities.
“The issues at stake lie at the heart of democratic society,” Noot said, warning against the stigmatisation of religious communities and restrictions on peaceful gatherings.
Michael Langhans, executive director of FOREF Germany, questioned whether Lee’s pretrial detention was necessary given the evidence reportedly available to prosecutors. He also raised concerns about whether the Shincheonji community had been treated neutrally during the legal process.
The groups said the case also raises wider questions about the protection of religious minorities when governments seek to address alleged political or electoral offences.
Wider concerns over religious freedom
The organisations said the concerns surrounding Lee are part of what they describe as a wider pattern affecting religious minorities in South Korea.
They pointed to the reported treatment of Segero Church in Busan, saying the church has continued to face official scrutiny and alleged harassment following the release of Pastor Son Hyun-bo.
Other issues discussed at the conference included conscientious objection to military service, opposition to a mosque project in Daegu and religious accommodation in educational institutions.
HRWF also highlighted the historical imprisonment of Jehovah’s Witnesses who refused military service on conscientious grounds. Although South Korea introduced an alternative civilian service system, critics have argued that its 36-month duration and placement in correctional facilities make it disproportionately punitive compared with regular military service.
International impact
Márk Nemes, deputy director of CESNUR, said the situation involving Shincheonji could have implications beyond South Korea because the church has congregations in several countries.
According to Nemes, recent studies conducted among Shincheonji congregations in Europe, Argentina and Australia found increased hostility towards the religious movement.
He argued that developments in South Korea could therefore affect members of the church abroad and raise questions concerning the rights to freedom of religion and expression protected under Articles 18 and 19 of the ICCPR.
Massimo Introvigne, managing director of CESNUR and editor-in-chief of Bitter Winter, also criticised Lee’s detention, arguing that international standards concerning the treatment of elderly prisoners should be taken into account.
The organisations said they were not seeking to endorse or defend any particular religious doctrine, but rather to draw attention to what they consider broader questions of religious freedom, due process and equal treatment under the law.
At the end of the press conference, the participating scholars signed a letter calling on the South Korean government to release Lee from custody.
The organisations said they would continue documenting developments and urged South Korean authorities, the media and the international community to closely monitor the cases with regard to due process, proportionality and the protection of fundamental rights.
