South Korea: A call to release 95-year-old Chairman Lee from pretrial detention
Human Rights Without Frontiers is calling for the release of 95-year-old Shincheonji Church leader Lee Man-hee, who is currently in pretrial detention in South Korea. Lee faces allegations related to political party membership interference, though his supporters argue the detention is politically motivated and abusive.
Why it matters
The case raises significant questions about human rights, the treatment of elderly detainees, and the separation of church and state in a democratic nation.
A case of abusive detention on the basis of presumption of guilt. Human Rights Without Frontiers urges Seoul for his release. Shincheonji Chairman Lee.
A case of abusive detention on the basis of presumption of guilt. Human Rights Without Frontiers urges Seoul for his release.
For one month, Chairman Lee (Lee Man Hee, born in 1931), founder and spiritual leader of the Shincheonji Church, has been held in pretrial detention since his arrest on 24 June 2026, making him arguably the oldest prisoner in the world, despite not having been found guilty of any crime.
This is not happening in a totalitarian or dictatorial country, but it is happening as we speak in a democratic country: South Korea.
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