Month: Aug 2026

Posted on

Southern African Leaders Raise Concern Over Detention of 95-Year-Old Religious Leader on UN Day

CAPE TOWN, 22 August 2026 — On the United Nations’ International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief, the Southern African Leaders Coalition for Faith, Freedom and Justice (SALC-FFJ) has raised concerns over the continued pre-trial detention of 95-year-old religious leader, war veteran and peace activist Chairman Man Hee Lee.

The Coalition held a press conference in Cape Town today, one day after Chairman Lee’s bail hearing in the Republic of Korea. The outcome of the hearing remains pending.
Chairman Lee has been in pre-trial detention since 24 June 2026. He has not been convicted and the presumption of innocence remains intact. SALC-FFJ has raised concerns about his continued detention in light of his age, reported health concerns and cooperation with the judicial process. The Coalition deliberately convened on the UN-designated day to examine what religious freedom, human dignity and fair trial rights mean when a religious leader remains in detention while awaiting trial.


Chris Nissen, Chairperson of the South African Human Rights Commission, drew on South Africa’s own history of detention without trial and the protections provided by human rights law. Referencing the Nelson Mandela Rules, Nissen emphasised that the dignity of people deprived of liberty must remain protected, including those awaiting trial.

“A society is determined by how they look at the most vulnerable and how you treat them.”
Nissen also called for solidarity with those whose conscience or religious convictions may place them at risk. “Let no religious person, for the sake of standing up for the truth, standing for justice and righteousness, ever be detained or be charged for their conscience.”

He concluded with a direct call for Chairman Lee’s release: “We’ll use whatever influence, wherever we find influence, we’ll use that influence to say, release, release [him] now.”

For Pastor Nceba Mkatsane of the Church of Christ, the issue extends beyond any single denomination. “When a religious leader is treated unjustly, the body of faith across traditions is wounded. We cannot remain silent.” Mkatsane expressed concern over Chairman Lee’s continued detention, particularly given his age and reported health concerns, and said alternatives to detention should have been considered.

He also challenged journalists to play their part in ensuring the issue receives appropriate attention: “Your voices carry the power to prevent silence from becoming indifference.”

Former Cape Times editor and former group editor-in-chief of Independent Media Aziz Hartley placed the discussion within South Africa’s history of press freedom and political detention. “In any contestation, there are three views: yours, mine, and the truth. Where is it that the media stands?”

Hartley argued that South African journalists have a particular responsibility to scrutinise power and give space to voices that may otherwise be unheard. “Our own history is a mirror for us when it comes to defending the people’s rights.”

SALC-FFJ co-founder and Established Africa Managing Editor Magdalene Govender said South Africa’s experience of receiving international solidarity during the struggle against apartheid creates a responsibility to speak up when fundamental rights are at stake elsewhere. “If we had external voices helping us to have this type of liberation, then it is our moral right and responsibility to speak up for others as well. Right now, South Korea needs those voices.”

More than 220 organisations and leaders across the region have endorsed the Coalition’s joint statement calling for proportionality, fair trial guarantees and the protection of religious liberty. SALC-FFJ said its position is not based on denomination or political affiliation, but on the principle that human rights and dignity must apply to everyone, regardless of nationality, age or faith.

As the world commemorates victims of violence based on religion or belief, the Coalition is calling for continued attention to religious freedom, the presumption of innocence, fair trial rights, proportionality and human dignity.

Posted on

Art or Graffiti? What’s Your Take?

There’s a wall in Port Elizabeth Central that most people have passed a hundred times without really seeing. For years, it was just noise — layers of tags, half-finished scrawls, the kind of surface the eye slides off without registering. Then, one day, it wasn’t. Somebody picked up a brush instead of a can, and the noise became a picture. Same wall. Same city. A completely different reaction from everyone who walked past it.

So, what actually separates “graffiti” from “art”? Is it the image itself — or is it who gave permission for it to be there?

Port Elizabeth has lived this exact story before. Back in 2013, a group of local artists — Nathan Sanan, Steven Carter, Paolo Maneli and Quintin Weyer — approached the developers behind the Something Good roadhouse overlooking Pollok Beach with an idea: take a wall that had become a magnet for graffiti, and turn it into a proper mural. Sanan, an architect by trade, said the goal was simple — to share their love of urban art and “instil a sense of pride” in residents, using colour and craft to push back against the tagging that had taken over the space.

Source: Ugly wall now something good

What stands out in that story isn’t really the mural itself. It’s the admission buried inside it: the wall was already a canvas. People were already using it to say something. The artists didn’t introduce art to a blank space — they replaced one form of expression with another, one the city was willing to call legitimate.

A few streets over, Central has its official answer to that question, unmissable and fully sanctioned: Route 67, the public art trail that winds up toward the Donkin Reserve through 67 individual works — murals, mosaics, sculpture — each one marking a year of Nelson Mandela’s public life. The Bus Station Mural alone, painted by the collective 4 Blind Mice, was designed specifically to celebrate the everyday commuters who pass through it. It’s vivid, civic-minded, and it was commissioned by the Mandela Bay Development Agency on behalf of the municipality.

This mural by 4 Blind Mice is a carefully constructed design that celebrates public transport and the daily journeys undertaken by the people of Port Elizabeth. Source: Graffiti in Port Elizabeth

Nobody debates whether Route 67 is “art.” It has a plaque. It has a budget line. It has permission. And that is arguably the actual dividing line in most people’s minds — not talent, not colour, not even permanence. Permission. The same aerosol can, the same wall, the same skill with a spray nozzle can be called vandalism or heritage depending entirely on whether someone in an office signed off on it first. Here’s the part more interesting than the semantics: how many people actually stop for any of it anymore?

MBDA’s Route 67 consists of 67 Public Art Works symbolising Nelson Mandela’s 67 years of work dedicated to the Freedom of South Africa 

Route 67 was built to be walked slowly — to draw a pause at the Voting Line sculpture, an exchanged word with a stranger, a moment to listen for the Campanile’s bells. But most of Central moves past its own art at commuter speed. People will queue for a gallery opening and not glance twice at a mural they drive past every single day. Somewhere along the way, “art” became something you go and see, on purpose, in a building designed for the purpose — and everything else became scenery.

Maybe that’s the real question hiding behind “art or graffiti.” It isn’t really about definitions. It’s about attention. A tag gets read as vandalism partly because no one was invited to slow down and look at it. A mural gets read as art partly because someone put a frame around the moment — a plaque, a launch event, a story in the newspaper — and declared it worth a second look.

Painting in Norwich, Gqeberha

Looking at the paintings in Central, the point isn’t to settle on a label before looking closely. It’s what happens in the half-second before that decision gets made. Is it intention, or intrusion? Craft, or clutter? And if the answer changes once the question of permission comes up — what does that say about what “art” actually means?

Because if Port Elizabeth’s own walls can flip from vandalism to civic pride with nothing but a fresh coat of paint and a press release, maybe the line was never about the image at all.

What’s your take?

Posted on

IPYG And HWPL Mark International Youth Day Through Peace My Namibia School Garden Initiative

7 AUGUST 2026 — Ahead of International Youth Day on 12 August, the International Peace Youth Group (IPYG), affiliated with Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL), partnered with Moses Van Der Byl Primary School to implement the Peace My Namibia: A Bowl of Peace, a Patch of Garden initiative.

Held on Friday, 7 August 2026, the initiative brought together learners, educators, and volunteers to establish a vegetable garden designed to support the school’s feeding programme and provide practical life skills training for learners.

The project addressed inconsistent access to food by establishing a school-managed garden. Participants prepared garden beds, planted seedlings, and engaged in activities focused on cooperation, responsibility, and environmental care.

Teacher Mr Simeon Kamati stated, “Most of our learners come from home with empty stomachs, but with this garden, we can ensure they are fed and ready to concentrate in class. It directly aligns with Namibia’s national vision for food security—whenever government supplies lag, this garden directly sustains our children’s minds and learning.”.

One participating student, Haihwema Twapewoshali, said, “Through this garden, we didn’t just learn how to care for plants—we learned responsibility and the joy of working together with our friends to help each other. I hope our vegetables keep growing, and that our garden becomes even bigger in the years to come.”

The initiative is part of IPYG’s global Peace My City campaign, which involves youth in addressing local community challenges through volunteer action. The project highlighted youth participation in community development ahead of International Youth Day on 12 August.

Meanwhile, HWPL carries out various initiatives aimed at ceasing war and achieving world peace through peace education, interfaith harmony, advocacy for international peace law, and the establishment of youth, women, and media networks. As of September 2025, HWPL’s global membership exceeded 580,000, and updates on HWPL’s peace initiatives and campaigns are available through membership registration on the official website.

Posted on

South African Pastors Join 3,000 Christian Leaders Worldwide in Call for Religious Freedom and Justice

18 AUGUST 2026 — Approximately 3,000 Christian leaders from around the world, including pastors from Southern Africa, joined the Joint Assembly of World Pastors on 13 August to raise concerns about religious freedom, human rights and due process following the detention of 95-year-old religious leader and war veteran Chairman Man Hee Lee in South Korea.

23 local pastors sign a petition in support of religious freedom and the protection of human rights

The international assembly brought together pastors through online and in-person participation from countries including Zambia, Rwanda, Russia and others. Religious leaders examined concerns surrounding religious freedom and the separation of church and state in South Korea, as well as the principle that judicial proceedings should be determined by evidence and due process rather than public opinion.

The gathering concluded with a joint statement calling for the protection of religious freedom, respect for the presumption of innocence and an end to trials influenced by public opinion. The statement also called for consideration of bail for Chairman Lee in light of his advanced age and circumstances.

Two days later, on 15 August, pastors in Cape Town continued that call at an International Pastors Conference, where 23 pastors signed a petition supporting religious freedom, fair-trial rights and consideration of Chairman Lee’s circumstances. The Cape Town gathering provided an opportunity for South African religious leaders to reflect on the wider implications of the issues raised internationally and the responsibility of the church to protect human dignity and freedom of religion or belief.

South African pastors join an international pastors’ conference to unite and stand for religious freedom

The local gathering also highlighted how questions of religious freedom and justice can extend beyond national and denominational boundaries, with pastors considering their responsibility to speak on issues affecting human dignity and fundamental rights.

Pastor Aime Enyeka, said the age of Chairman Lee was an important consideration when discussing his detention and the wider question of human rights.

“That is not fair, it’s not right. I think that is against human rights. What happened to Mandela in those times, is starting to happen now in South Korea,” said Pastor Enyeka.

The reference to South Africa’s own history brought a local dimension to the discussion, with the pastor emphasising that the treatment of elderly people in detention should remain a human-rights concern regardless of where it occurs.

For Anetta Barnes Mangxaba, Chairperson of the Association of Independent Publishers, the discussion highlighted the responsibility of religious leaders to recognise that questions of religious freedom can have implications beyond national borders.

“This is not a country issue, it’s a global issue,” said Mangxaba.

She also emphasised the importance of pastors understanding the legal and constitutional frameworks of the countries in which they serve saying, “Pastors need to empower themselves. We need to know the laws of the country, it’s to know the Constitution, it’s to know the acts and how to apply that and how to empower the ones that we lead as pastors.”

For Pastor Philip Bahama, the gathering demonstrated the importance of unity among Christians across different churches and backgrounds.

“The thing that I have learned from today’s gathering was that as the church we need to stand, because when we stand together, there is power,” Pastor Bahama said. All of us, as the leaders, pastors, we need to know our rights and we need to defend our rights. We need to speak the same language and we need to be together to fight injustice.”

The participation forms part of the wider international response by Christian leaders who say that questions of religious freedom, human dignity and due process should be addressed beyond national and denominational boundaries. The Cape Town gathering reinforced the call for religious leaders to stand together in defence of justice, truth and the fundamental rights of all people.

Posted on

3,000 Pastors Worldwide: “Religious Freedom in South Korea in Crisis — Stop the Trial by Public Opinion and Release the 95-Year-Old Leader”

On the 13th, seven religious organizations — including the Council for Christian Mutual Growth, the Korea Christian Leaders Training Institute, the Pastors Alliance for Life and Human Rights, the Russian Evangelical Alliance, and the Thai Evangelical Alliance Association — held the “1st Joint Assembly of World Pastors” and sharply criticized the violations of religious freedom and the undermining of the principle of separation of church and state now taking place in the Republic of Korea. Some 3,000 pastors from major countries around the world attended online and offline.

At this assembly, not only Korean presenters but also overseas pastors from countries such as Russia and Zambia took the podium themselves, examining from an international perspective the reality of religious freedom under threat beyond any single denomination or nation. The presenters spoke with one voice: “What is happening in the Republic of Korea today is not the problem of one denomination or one country.”

The first presenter, Rev. Im Young-woong, senior pastor of Saehimang (New Hope) Church of the Presbyterian Church of Korea, raised the dangers of the debate over dissolving religious corporations in an international context. Rev. Im Young-woong asked, “If the state can dissolve a single religious organization, exactly how far should that standard reach — and who can guarantee that the standard created today will not be applied to another church tomorrow?”

Citing the case in which the Tokyo District Court issued a dissolution order in March 2025 against the former Unification Church (the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification) and the Supreme Court of Japan finalized it in June 2026, he explained, “What was dissolved in Japan was not the faith itself but its legal status as a religious corporation; yet the practical impact on the religious community — loss of tax benefits, liquidation of assets and more — is by no means small.”

Rev. Im Young-woong then pointed to Article 38 of Korea’s Civil Act, which allows a corporation’s establishment permit to be revoked for “acts that harm the public interest,” calling it the core problem: “Who decides what harms the public interest, and by what standard?” Citing the 2020 case in which, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Seoul Metropolitan Government revoked the establishment permit of an incorporated association linked to Shincheonji and also began revocation proceedings against HWPL, as well as the December 2025 case in which the President, referring to Japan’s Unification Church dissolution at a Cabinet meeting, ordered a review of the possibility of dissolving domestic religious organizations, he warned that “our concerns are becoming reality.”

Rev. Im Young-woong stressed, “If there are allegations, they must be investigated, and if a crime is proven, one must be held accountable. But investigating an individual’s criminal allegations and making an entire religious community of hundreds of thousands of members a target for survival-or-dissolution are matters on entirely different levels,” adding, “The most dangerous thing is that it is not objective criminal facts but ‘social unpopularity’ that operates as grounds for dissolution. If we tolerate this logic today because it targets a religion we dislike, there is no guarantee the same logic will not be applied to our own church tomorrow.” He further invoked Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR): “Religious freedom must not vary according to whether a religion is old or new, a majority or a minority, or socially popular or condemned.”

Rev. Vitaly Kirillovich Vlasenko, General Secretary of the Russian Evangelical Alliance, presented on the theme “Public opinion cannot be a verdict.” He said, “Is it truly just that the legal standard applied to a religion and its leader should change simply because that religion has become an object of social hatred?” and, “The fact that hundreds of thousands condemn someone and that countless media reports follow cannot justify declaring a person guilty before the court has even handed down its judgment.”

General Secretary Vlasenko stressed, “The stronger the social pressure, the more fair and neutral the trial must be; and the stronger the religious hostility, the more strictly the state must supervise whether the law and due process are being observed.” Referring to the situation in 2020 when Shincheonji was linked to the spread of COVID-19 in Daegu and a national petition demanding its forced dissolution surpassed 500,000 signatures within two days and later exceeded one million, he said, “An atmosphere formed as if society had already handed down its verdict before the court had even held a trial.”

He continued, “Yet the Supreme Court of the Republic of Korea ultimately acquitted Chairman Lee Man-hee of the charge of violating the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act, while upholding guilty verdicts on some other charges,” and, “A court is not an institution that judges a person wholesale as a ‘good person’ or a ‘bad person’; it is a place that examines the evidence for each specific charge and distinguishes guilt from innocence. Herein lies the essential difference between public opinion and judicial judgment.” Turning to the current situation in which Chairman Lee Man-hee has again been detained on charges of violating the Political Parties Act, he urged, “Whether or not one agrees with the doctrine, the legal standard must be applied equally to everyone.”

Bishop Elias Elijah Changa, founder and president of the Zambia-based Missionary Ambassadors for Global Evangelism (MAGE) in Lusaka, raised the questions of due process and human dignity based on his prison-ministry experience. He opened, “The administration of justice and the protection of human dignity must go together.”

Rev. Changa said, “Acknowledging that Chairman Lee Man-hee has long worked for peace-building and interfaith dialogue through HWPL’s international activities means neither innocence nor exemption from the law,” but added, “The judgment concerning him must be made by the courts on the basis of law and evidence alone, and disagreement over his beliefs must not determine how he is treated.”

In particular, through his prison ministry he said he had confirmed that “detention causes especially serious and harsh hardship for the elderly,” and asked, “Age gives no one the right to stand above the law, but to protect life and humanity, I ask the competent authorities to carefully consider lawful alternatives such as bail, residence restriction, or medical accommodation.” He stated, “We are not demanding that Chairman Lee Man-hee receive special treatment because he is a religious leader; we are asking that the fairness, dignity, and universal rights owed to everyone be extended equally to him.”

The assembly closed with the announcement of a “Joint Statement” adopted with the signatures of Christian leaders from around the world. The statement set out demands that:

  • The government and political circles immediately cease using specific religions, including Shincheonji, as tools of political strife and suppression in violation of the principle of separation of church and state, and fully guarantee universal religious freedom;
  • the judiciary halt trials by public opinion and witch hunts and uphold the presumption of innocence for the very elderly religious leader; and
  • the court grant the bail request of the very elderly leader, whose life is under threat, and release him immediately.

The organizers stated, “The cases presented here are not the problem of one denomination alone but a grave warning signal spanning religious freedom in the Republic of Korea as a whole,” and, “Until the government and judicial authorities return to fair justice and the principle of separation of church and state, we will continue our response in solidarity with international human-rights organizations and the churches of the world.”

Posted on

As SADC Leaders Gather in Durban, Over 250 Convene Around the Detention of a 95-Year-Old War Veteran and the Wider Question of Justice

DURBAN, South Africa, 13 August 2026 — What does justice mean when the principles of human dignity, liberty and fair trial are put to the test?

For more than 250 leaders, diplomats, faith representatives, legal practitioners, academics and civil-society voices gathered in Durban, the question became particularly urgent through the case of Chairman Man Hee Lee, a 95-year-old war veteran, peace advocate and international religious leader currently being held in detention in South Korea.

Chairman Lee was arrested and placed in pre-trial detention in June 2026 in connection with allegations under South Korea’s Political Parties Act. His detention has raised concerns among supporters and human-rights voices regarding the proportionality of detention given his advanced age, as well as broader questions concerning fair-trial rights, liberty, human dignity and freedom of religion or belief.

It was against this backdrop that the Southern African Leaders Coalition for Faith, Freedom and Justice (SALC-FFJ) convened the “In Pursuit of a Just World – Liberty, Faith and Institutional Trust in the SADC Region” high-level dialogue in Durban, on the margins of the 46th Ordinary SADC Summit.

The gathering brought the case into a wider regional conversation: What responsibility does a region have when the principles it has committed itself to are challenged in practice?

SALC-FFJ’s Urgent Joint Statement handed over to the SADC Member States present, Ambassador Mutombo Kambila Patrick (DRC) and Foreign Affairs and the Diaspora Minister Barry Faure (Seychelles)

Among those participating were representatives from SADC Member States, including Seychelles’ Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Diaspora Barry Faure and His Excellency Ambassador Mutombo Kambila Patrick of the Democratic Republic of Congo, alongside leaders from the legal, faith, human-rights, academic and civil-society sectors. For Minister Faure, the issue resonated with Seychelles’ own experience.

Having first met Chairman Lee more than ten years ago while in Korea, Minister Faure reflected on a human-rights case in Seychelles that remains under investigation and has heightened his personal concern for the protection of human rights.

“Because of what happened in Seychelles, human rights have become a very important concern for us. When I see what is happening to Chairman Lee, I see those same human-rights concerns. I would really like to support this cause and do everything I can to help.” Minister Faure signed the SALC-FFJ Joint Statement and indicated that he would take it back to Seychelles, signaling his intention to continue engaging on the matter.

Panelists, Swami Vedanand Saraswati and Attorney Simi Sharma, discuss the affects of arbitrary detention on religious freedom

The discussion placed Chairman Lee’s circumstances within the context of Southern Africa’s own history and regional commitments. SADC has articulated commitments to democracy, human rights, justice, peace and good governance through instruments including the SADC Treaty and RISDP 2020–2030, while the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights provides continental protections relating to human dignity, liberty, fair trial and freedom of conscience and religion.

Participants were therefore challenged to consider how these principles can inform constructive engagement when fundamental rights are under question beyond the region. For faith leaders, this also raised the responsibility to defend religious freedom beyond one’s own community. Swami Vedanand Saraswati, Spiritual Leader of Arya Samaj South Africa and Convenor of the Sanyasi Council of South Africa, expressed particular concern about Chairman Lee’s treatment given his age, history as a war veteran and work for peace.

“I really cannot accept what is happening to Chairman Lee. I cannot comprehend how a 95-year-old person can be treated this way. He is a peace activist and a war veteran, and he deserves to be treated with humanity and dignity.” Swami Vedanand also emphasised that the event should not be viewed as an endpoint, stressing the importance of continued action and follow-up.

The most tangible outcome of the gathering came at its conclusion, when the SALC-FFJ Joint Statement was formally presented to and received by SADC Member States present, namely the Minister from Seychelles and the Ambassador of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Statement calls for greater attention to fair-trial rights, human dignity, liberty and freedom of religion or belief. It has received the endorsement of 220 organisations and leaders across the SADC region, including faith communities, legal professionals, human-rights advocates and civil-society representatives.

The formal handover placed the Coalition’s concerns directly before the regional institution at the centre of the Summit taking place in Durban. The event also highlighted the relationship between justice, religious freedom and institutional trust. Participants considered how confidence in institutions can be weakened when people perceive legal processes as unfair, disproportionate or inconsistent with fundamental rights, and how such concerns can ultimately affect social cohesion and confidence in governance.

For SALC-FFJ, the significance of the dialogue extends beyond Chairman Lee’s individual case. The gathering sought to demonstrate that Africa can contribute to global conversations on justice and human rights from the strength of its own history, institutions, experiences and values.

SADC Member States Representatives record the follow up actions they will consider

Southern Africa does not have to choose between defending its sovereignty and defending universal principles. Constructive regional dialogue can allow both to coexist. The participation of diplomatic representatives, religious leaders, legal professionals, academics and civil-society voices demonstrated an appetite for continued engagement, while participants expressed a willingness to remain involved beyond the event.

As the SADC Summit continues, SALC-FFJ believes the conversation should continue beyond Durban. If justice, liberty, religious freedom and human dignity are principles worth defending, the real test is not whether we affirm them in principle, but what we do when those principles are challenged.

Posted on

International Rights Groups Raise Alarm Over Freedom of Religion and Expression in South Korea

SEOUL, South Korea, 7 August 2026 — Human Rights Without Frontiers (HRWF), together with CAP Liberté de Conscience (CAP LC), which has accredited ECOSOC status at the United Nations, FOREF, CESNUR and Bitter Winter, held a press conference today at the Seoul Foreign Correspondents’ Club on Freedom of Religion or Belief and Freedom of Expression in South Korea. The issues addressed included concerns about the treatment of elderly religious leaders in pretrial detention, including questions of proportionality, humanitarian considerations, and due process. The organizations called on South Korean authorities to review the detention of 95-year-old Shincheonji Chairman Lee Man-hee and to ensure that the legal and administrative response to religious minorities remains neutral, proportionate, and consistent with South Korea’s international human-rights obligations, including with respect to 83-year-old Mrs. Hakja Han Moon of the Family Federation.

Press Conference Freedom of Religion and Expression Statement

The issues discussed today form part of a broader pattern of Freedom of Religion or Belief
concerns in South Korea. Concerns have also persisted regarding Segero Church in Busan,
which has reportedly continued to face harassment and official scrutiny even after Pastor Son Hyun-bo was released from detention.

Reporting has also raised questions about conscientious objection, public hostility toward a
mosque project in Daegu, and religious accommodation in educational settings. Over the past decades, HRWF has documented the imprisonment of hundreds of Jehovah’s Witnesses in South Korea as conscientious objectors, and although alternative civilian service was later introduced, critics maintain that it has been implemented in a punitive manner rather than as a genuine rights-respecting alternative, notably because it requires 36 months of service in correctional facilities, twice the length of regular military service. Recent court decisions have also upheld key features of that system against constitutional challenge.

Press Conference Freedom of Religion and Expression

Opening the conference, Hans Noot, Associate Director of HRWF, said the issues at stake “lie at the heart of democratic society,” warning that when religious communities are stigmatized, peaceful gatherings are restricted, and dissent is treated as a problem to be contained, the consequences “extend far beyond any single group or case.” He said the conference was not about defending any one theology or movement, but about “defending a principle: that fundamental rights apply equally to all.”

Thierry Valle, President of CAP Liberté de Conscience, addressed the legality of Chairman
Lee’s detention under international law. Referring to South Korea’s ratification of the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in 1990 and the Convention against Torture in 1995, he questioned whether placing a 95-year-old in pretrial detention is consistent with those obligations. He stressed that the presumption of innocence must prevail over any presumption of guilt.

Press Conference Freedom of Religion and Expression Hans Noot

There are alternative more proportionate and more humane measures respecting the
presumption of innocence and human dignity in democratic countries. And he cited precedents including Cardinal Joseph Zen’s 2022 release on bail in Hong Kong and Vietnam’s decision to place Buddhist Patriarch Thich Quang Do under house arrest rather than in prison.

Michael Langhans, Executive Director of FOREF Germany, presented a legal analysis
questioning whether pretrial detention for Chairman Lee of the Shincheonji Church was
necessary given evidence already sufficient for an indictment, and whether that evidence was gathered neutrally rather than through a narrative framing the defendant’s community as a “sect” or “cult.” He argued that the case raises a broader question for lawmakers: whether measures meant to protect fair elections can be applied without nullifying the constitutionally and internationally guaranteed right to freedom of religion.

Márk Nemes, Deputy Director of CESNUR, shared his thoughts on the effects of ongoing
persecution and its possible ramifications for minority faiths. He noted three recent scholarly investigations conducted in selected Shincheonji congregations in Europe, Argentina, and Australia, each finding worrisome increase in hostility toward the otherwise peaceful and cooperative religious movement. He stressed that Shincheonji is not simply a South Korean minority church but a global religious movement with congregations worldwide. The disproportionate persecution in South Korea affects the lives of those congregants abroad, whose freedoms for expressing and practicing faith, enshrined in ICCPR Articles 18 and 19, are inalienable rights and must be considered during this current process.

Massimo Introvigne, Managing Director of CESNUR and Editor-in-Chief of Bitter Winter, said South Korea “has crossed a worrying line” by arresting Chairman Lee, arguing that international standards such as the Mandela Rules would call for house arrest rather than imprisonment for a 95-year-old accused of a non-violent offence. He said the charges, tied to ordinary political participation by members of a religious minority, “appear legally and conceptually overstretched,” and warned that the case fits a broader pattern of pressure against minority faiths in the country.

The organizations called on South Korean authorities, the media, and the international
community to examine these developments with close attention to due process,
proportionality, and the equal protection of fundamental rights, and made further
documentation available to support continued reporting.

European Human Rights Group Petition to the National Human Rights

At the conclusion of the press conference, the scholars in attendance signed an official letter calling on the Government of the Republic of Korea to immediately release Chairman Lee from custody.

Posted on

Bonteheuwel Peace Garden Plaque Unveiled as Community and Global Peace Leaders Celebrate Grassroots Peacebuilding

Cape Town, South Africa — Beneath the winter sun in Bonteheuwel, a simple plaque was unveiled, but it represented something far greater than stone and metal. It stands as a lasting tribute to years of unwavering commitment by the Bonteheuwel Walking Ladies, the International Women’s Peace Group (IWPG) Peace Committee, and community partners who have transformed a once-neglected space into a living symbol of hope, healing, and peace.

The special ceremony welcomed the IWPG Global Region 6 leadership delegation from South Korea alongside local community leaders, residents, faith representatives, and the Bonteheuwel Walking Ladies. The programme began with a Peace Committee meeting before guests gathered at the Peace Garden for a morning filled with reflection, celebration, and shared purpose.

The event opened with a warm welcome from Soraya Salie, founder of the Bonteheuwel Walking Ladies, followed by interfaith prayers led by Christian and Muslim faith representatives, reflecting the community’s commitment to peace across cultures and religions. Councillor Mzwakhe Nqavashe joined the celebration and commended the Bonteheuwel Walking Ladies for their unwavering dedication to serving their community through peacebuilding, environmental stewardship and creating safe spaces where residents can come together. He praised the initiative as a shining example of how local leadership and ordinary citizens can build a more peaceful society.

Representatives from IWPG shared words of encouragement before the official unveiling of the commemorative plaque by the IWPG Global Region 6 delegation and the IWPG Peace Committee. The unveiling marked a significant milestone in recognising years of grassroots peacebuilding led by the Bonteheuwel Walking Ladies and their collaboration with IWPG.

Throughout the morning, many laughs and tears were exchanged as residents reflected on years of perseverance, shared stories of hardship, remembered loved ones, and celebrated the transformation that the Peace Garden has brought to the community. Visitors witnessed not only a beautiful garden, but a space that has become a sanctuary for healing, dialogue, learning and reconciliation. Guiding guests through the Peace Garden, Soraya Salie shared the vision that continues to inspire the project, “I want this garden to become a mini Kirstenbosch, so that many young people may learn and grow through this garden.”

Her vision reflects the Bonteheuwel Walking Ladies’ commitment to nurturing both the environment and the next generation. More than a place of beauty, the Peace Garden has become a living classroom where children, families and neighbours come together to learn about food security, environmental responsibility, community service and peaceful coexistence.

Following the tour, So Young Park, Director of IWPG Global Region 6, reflected on the significance of seeing the project firsthand, “We always knew of the work done by the Bonteheuwel Walking Ladies and the collaboration of IWPG. However, today we got to see the depth of the work of peace happening in Cape Town through them and the impact of the work.”

Her remarks highlighted one of IWPG’s core principles, that lasting peace is not only achieved through international dialogue, but through communities choosing every day to care for one another, restore dignity and create environments where peace can flourish. IWPG Southern Africa Branch Manager Faith Van Wyk praised the Bonteheuwel Walking Ladies for demonstrating what community-led peacebuilding looks like in practice, “I will take this example of the work and share with the people of Johannesburg what the Bonteheuwel Walking Ladies are doing in Cape Town.”

Her words reflected IWPG’s vision of sharing successful peace initiatives across communities, ensuring that inspiring local models can encourage similar efforts throughout Southern Africa. The morning concluded with a heartfelt vote of thanks before the Bonteheuwel Walking Ladies celebrated the occasion through song and dance, bringing smiles to guests from South Africa and South Korea alike. Volunteers then worked together to carefully clean and restore the garden, demonstrating that service to the community continues long after ceremonies have ended.

The unveiling of the plaque represents far more than the recognition of a garden. It celebrates years of women quietly choosing peace over division, compassion over conflict and action over despair. It honours a partnership between local residents and IWPG that continues to prove that sustainable peace begins in neighbourhoods, through everyday acts of kindness, shared responsibility and collective hope.

As flowers continue to bloom within the Peace Garden, the newly unveiled plaque will serve as a permanent reminder that peace is not merely spoken about, it is planted, nurtured and lived. In Bonteheuwel, the Bonteheuwel Walking Ladies have shown that when communities come together with purpose, even the smallest seeds can grow into lasting symbols of peace for generations to come.