A European nongovernmental organization with United Nations consultative status has brought the case of a 95-year-old religious leader to the UN Human Rights Council, arguing that his ongoing pretrial detention in South Korea reflects a politically driven and discriminatory investigation targeting a religious minority. The intervention matters because it tests whether the Republic of Korea's international treaty commitments — on detention conditions, religious freedom, and humane treatment — carry real weight when the accused belongs to a marginalized faith community.
On 18 September 2026, CAP Freedom of Conscience delivered an oral statement during the general debate under Item 3 of the 63rd session of the UN Human Rights Council, devoted to the promotion and protection of all human rights. The statement raises the case of Chairman Lee Man-hee, founder and leader of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus and a veteran of the Korean War, who is currently held in pretrial detention at the Seoul Detention Center on non-violent charges.
CAP Freedom of Conscience expressed serious concern regarding what it describes as a politically driven and discriminatory investigation targeting a religious minority, as well as the conditions of detention. Despite his fixed residence and the absence of any flight risk, Chairman Lee was held in cells without air conditioning during Seoul's most severe heatwave, raising grave concerns for the health of a 95-year-old detainee. The organization argues that such treatment runs counter to the Republic of Korea's international obligations.
According to the statement, Article 9 of the ICCPR requires detention to be necessary and proportionate; Article 10 guarantees humane treatment; the Nelson Mandela Rules entitle detainees to healthcare equivalent to that available in the community; the Tokyo Rules make pretrial detention a measure of last resort; and Article 18 protects freedom of religion or belief — a right CAP Freedom of Conscience considers disregarded in this case. The cumulative weight of these provisions, the organization contends, leaves South Korea out of step with the very standards it has voluntarily accepted.
The implications extend beyond a single defendant. If the Council takes up the case, it could set a precedent for how UN bodies scrutinize pretrial detention of elderly and religiously affiliated individuals in member states. CAP Freedom of Conscience urges the Council to call on the Republic of Korea to honour its treaty obligations by offering alternatives to detention, allowing an independent medical assessment, and ensuring a fair and impartial trial.
CAP Liberté de Conscience is a European nongovernmental organization established in 1995 with United Nations ECOSOC consultative status. The organization works to protect freedom of religion or belief and raise awareness of discrimination affecting religious and belief communities.
SCJ is an abbreviation for Shincheonji. SCJ TV is the official broadcasting channel of Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony. As a global media platform featuring worship, Bible education, teaching, and cultural content, SCJ TV aims to make its Bible-based teachings accessible to audiences worldwide, transcending geographical and linguistic boundaries. More information about the church is available at https://www.shincheonji.org/en, and its broadcast content can be found at https://www.scjtvglobal.com.
The case now rests with the Human Rights Council, whose response will signal whether international human rights mechanisms can meaningfully address the detention of a nonagenarian religious figure whose followers say he poses no flight risk and whose health is acutely vulnerable. For religious minorities in South Korea and beyond, the outcome may shape how far states can go in using pretrial detention against unpopular groups before international obligations are enforced.
