ANAHEIM, Calif. — More than 2,500 people gathered Saturday at the Voices for Human Rights and Religious Freedom Conference to call for the release of Shincheonji Chairman Lee Man-hee, 95, arguing that his continued pretrial detention on a nonviolent charge raises broader concerns about due process, religious freedom and human rights, according to a press release.
Chairman Lee, founder of South Korea’s Shincheonji Church of Jesus, was arrested June 24, 2026, and has remained in detention despite his advanced age.
South Korean authorities indicted Chairman Lee for violating Article 42 of the Political Parties Act. According to the Korea Legislation Research Institute, the clause states that “no one shall be forced to enter into, or resign from, a political party without the consent of his own free will.”
In an article published by the Korea Herald, journalist Moon Ki-hoon wrote that Chairman Lee was charged with “pressuring followers to join the party and with interfering in the party’s affairs.”
South Korean authorities became suspicious of Chairman Lee after 50,000 church members registered for the People Power Party between July 2021 and January 2024 at his direction.
“Shincheonji Church has stated that members participated in political activity voluntarily and that Chairman Lee and the church have cooperated fully with the investigation, including searches and seizures,” the press release states.
Human rights activists from across the country attended the conference to protest Chairman Lee’s detention, citing the “implications for religious minorities worldwide” stemming from the nature of his arrest.
“The arrest of Shincheonji founder Lee Man-hee is not an isolated incident,” Dr. Edward Irons, director of the Hong Kong Institute for Culture, Commerce and Religion, said at the conference. “New religious movements worldwide have come under pressure and ostracism, often accompanied by negative media depictions and legal harassment.”
Legal advocates attending the conference maintained that South Korean authorities should release Chairman Lee until a judicial determination has been made, arguing that it is “simply a matter of human rights.”
“Without an individualized justification, detention begins to resemble less a procedural precaution than an anticipated punishment,” Dr. Maria Varde of the Institute of Anthropological Sciences at the University of Buenos Aires said. “Months of incarceration cannot be given back after an acquittal.”
Human rights lawyer Steve Swerdlow, a panelist at the event, emphasized the legal principle of proportionality in imposing punishment. Co-panelist César Coronel Garcés, an attorney and president of the Christian Association of Business Executives in Ecuador, emphasized the importance of considering Chairman Lee’s age in ensuring due process.
“The strength of a democracy is demonstrated not by how it treats those who agree with the government, but by how it protects the rights of those who think differently,” Garcés said. “Human dignity does not diminish with age. On the contrary, it deserves even greater respect and protection.”
The symposium featured interfaith voices expressing solidarity with Chairman Lee’s situation. Bishop Ray Moten of Joseph of Jacob United Church, who has known the Shincheonji founder for a decade through his “interfaith peace work,” emphasized the importance of standing with other religious leaders.
“I struggle to understand why a 95-year-old man, who no one considers to be a threat, remains in prison under these circumstances,” Bishop Moten said. “If we remain silent when justice is at stake, we risk weakening the very principles that protect every community.”
Given the seriousness of the case, participants at the Anaheim conference publicly committed to investigating Chairman Lee’s arrest. The guest speakers also signed a petition demanding that the South Korean government release the 95-year-old detainee.
“The Anaheim conference comes as international concern over the case continues to build,” the press release said. “An independent delegation of human rights experts and scholars is set to travel to South Korea on August 6-7 to conduct an on-site investigation into Chairman Lee’s detention.”
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