An international religious-freedom organisation has called for a review of the detention of 95-year-old Shincheonji Church of Jesus founder Lee Man-hee, citing concerns over his age, detention conditions and the circumstances surrounding his pretrial detention.
CAP Freedom of Conscience raised the issue before the United Nations Human Rights Council on 18 September 2026 during the general debate under Item 3 of the Council’s 63rd session.
In its oral statement, the organisation described Lee as a veteran of the Korean War and said he is currently being held at the Seoul Detention Center in South Korea over non-violent charges.
CAP Freedom of Conscience alleged that the investigation against Lee appears to be politically driven and discriminatory towards a religious minority. These characterisations were presented by the organisation in its statement and have not been independently established here.
Particular attention was drawn to the conditions of Lee’s detention. The organisation said he was held in cells without air conditioning during a severe heatwave in Seoul and argued that his age makes the conditions a significant human rights concern.
The group said the circumstances should be assessed against South Korea’s obligations under international human rights law.
It pointed to Article 9 of the ICCPR concerning lawful and proportionate detention, Article 10 concerning humane treatment of detainees, and Article 18 concerning freedom of religion or belief.
CAP Freedom of Conscience also referred to the Nelson Mandela Rules, which set standards for the treatment of prisoners, including access to healthcare, and the Tokyo Rules, which encourage the use of non-custodial measures and describe pretrial detention as a measure to be used only when necessary.
The organisation urged the Human Rights Council to call on South Korean authorities to consider alternatives to detention, arrange an independent medical assessment and guarantee a fair and impartial judicial process.
The case has brought questions about pretrial detention, detention conditions and religious freedom before the UN human rights forum as the proceedings involving the Shincheonji leader continue.
