Lee Man‑hee's Detention Provokes International Appeals for Release

South Korean authorities detained 95‑year‑old Lee Man‑hee, chairman of the Shincheonji Church, on 24 June on suspicion of orchestrating the mass registration of roughly 50,000 church members with a political party between July 2021 and January 2024. He was formally charged on 29 June for alleged violations of the country's election law.

At the European Academy for Religion’s annual conference in Rome on 3 July, European scholars presented a joint appeal to the South Korean government urging Lee’s release. Dr Massimo Introvigne of CESNUR warned that imprisoning a person over 80 for non‑violent offences contravenes EU standards and UN Mandela Rules, while Eric Roux, president of the European Inter‑Religious Forum for Religious Freedom, called the detention a breach of international law and an act of political retaliation. The Shincheonji Church stated that members acted voluntarily, that it has fully cooperated with investigations, and expressed deep regret over the leader’s incarceration.