The case of Chairman Lee Man-hee raised before the UNHCR

CAP Freedom of Conscience has raised the case for the founder and leader of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus Chairman Lee Man-hee at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHCR).

The organisation said the 95-year old a veteran of the Korean War has been detained on non-violent charges and is in pretrial detention at the Seoul Detention Center in the Republic of Korea.

During the oral statement delivered during the general debate under Item 3 of the 63rd session of the UN Human Rights Council on September 18, 2026 and which is devoted to the promotion and protection of all human rights, CAP Freedom of Conscience expressed serious concern regarding what it said appeared to be 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, the organisation 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 statement recalls that such treatment runs counter to the Republic of Korea’s international obligations: 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.

CAP Freedom of Conscience has urged 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.

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