Wen Shang-Bin, a Tai Ji Men disciple, presented a paper at a conference in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, analyzing the decades-long legal dispute involving the spiritual group. He argues that Taiwan’s National Taxation Bureau ignored Supreme Court rulings declaring the group innocent, leading to the 2020 seizure of its land. Wen attributes this to flawed tax interpretations of religious donations and a bureaucratic incentive system that rewards aggressive assessments. The case highlights concerns about religious liberty and incomplete transitional justice in Taiwan, as administrative agencies continue to pursue tax claims despite judicial clarity. (Bitter Winter)
Scholar Massimo Introvigne argues that discredited 'brainwashing' theories are resurfacing through three indirect legal pathways. First, 'coercive control' concepts from domestic violence are being wrongly applied to religious groups in the UK and Australia. Second, 'spiritual abuse' has shifted from a pastoral metaphor to a vague legal category, as seen in Japan's dissolution of the Unification Church. Third, these ideas infiltrate human-trafficking interpretations. While US and European courts previously rejected such pseudoscience, France and Asian nations are increasingly using these frameworks to restrict religious minorities, raising concerns about religious liberty and human rights violations.
Wu Chih-chung presented a paper in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, analyzing the long-term impact of the 1996 crackdown on Tai Ji Men. Although Taiwan’s Supreme Court ruled in 2007 that the group committed no crimes, administrative agencies continued issuing tax bills. Wu argues that AI perpetuates outdated negative media coverage, while a tax bonus system creates conflicts of interest for officials. He urges Taiwan to reform its incentive structures to protect religious freedom and ensure accurate information dissemination.
Lee Li-Chun presented a case study on the Tai Ji Men organization at a conference in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. She detailed a 30-year legal dispute involving wrongful tax accusations and property seizures. Although courts ruled the group innocent in 2007, the National Taxation Bureau continued to issue bills. Experts from the World Taxpayers Association criticized the flawed incentive system. Taiwanese lawyers and academics argue the case exposes judicial and tax failures. The presentation suggests that resolving such issues is vital for protecting religious liberty and improving Taiwan's international reputation.
A paper presented in a country in East Asia argues that regional democracies undermine religious freedom by tolerating the delegitimization of minority groups. Authors identify four actors driving this erosion: state bureaucracies, terrorist-linked rhetoric, majoritarian religious institutions, and anti-cult movements. The study highlights specific cases in three nations. In one country, a spiritual movement faces ongoing tax disputes despite judicial acquittals. In another, a religious group faces dissolution proceedings following a political assassination. In a third, a church was targeted during the pandemic despite court findings of no wrongdoing. The authors contend that these dynamics violate constitutional neutrality and religious liberty protections.
Discredited 'brainwashing' theories are re-emerging through human trafficking laws in various countries. Prosecutors now use terms like 'psychological coercion' to target religious groups, bypassing previous legal rejections of such concepts. In some nations, agencies have prosecuted churches, while in others, law enforcement has adopted specific models for training. This shift allows authorities to criminalize volunteer labor in religious organizations based on mental manipulation claims. Critics warn this undermines religious freedom by substituting value judgments for empirical evidence, creating dangerous legal precedents against spiritual communities.
Japan’s Supreme Court confirmed on June 23 the dissolution of the Unification Church, also known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification. The ruling upheld a 2026 Tokyo High Court decision that ordered the group’s liquidation based on tortious conduct by individual members. According to Bitter Winter, the high court’s reasoning relied on an expansive interpretation of the Religious Corporations Act, allowing dissolution for civil wrongs rather than criminal acts. The Supreme Court dismissed the appeal with brief reasoning, stating the measure does not violate religious freedom rights. The decision follows the 2022 assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and has raised concerns among human rights experts regarding due process and the future of religious liberty in Japan.
South Korea’s Minister of Justice, Jeong Seong-ho, announced the detention of Shincheonji Chairman Lee Manhee, a ninety-five-year-old man. The minister alleges Lee violated the separation of religion and state by forcibly registering over 50,000 believers as members of a political party. Jeong also referenced the recent dissolution of Japan’s Unification Church to justify strict punishment. The article notes that Unification Church leader Hak Ja Han is also detained. Critics argue the minister’s pre-trial comments and use of biblical quotes undermine judicial impartiality and democratic rights. A pending draft law could allow swift dissolution of religious groups interfering in politics.
Fact-checker Hirohiro Kato and literary critic Eitaro Ogawa discuss how media and activists shaped public opinion against the Unification Church in Japan. Following the 2022 assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, coverage shifted rapidly from mourning to political attacks. Kato’s analysis shows reports focused on political connections rather than specific harms, using emotional language to create a sense of crisis. Despite limited actual public interest, this narrative pressured the Kishida administration to seek dissolution. The authors warn this process undermines judicial independence and human rights in Japan.
Kenny Jeng presented a paper in Skopje, North Macedonia, examining how political systems misuse religious symbols. The article focuses on the Tai Ji Men dispute in Taiwan, which began in 1996. Although Taiwan’s Supreme Court ruled in 2009 that the group committed no fraud or tax evasion, authorities continued to issue tax bills based on discredited theories. This led to the seizure of land for a self-cultivation center. Human rights organizations have cited the case as an example of administrative persecution. Jeng argues that awakening individual conscience is necessary to prevent the weaponization of religion by state power.
Supporters of Mapuche leader Facundo Jones Huala in Argentina report his severe health decline during a 53-day hunger strike at Rawson Prison. They accuse Prosecutor Fernando Arrigo and his team of ignoring medical warnings and failing to implement a transfer order. The article draws parallels to Russian dissident Konstantin Rudnev, whose supporters also allege Arrigo’s office obstructs humanitarian measures. Both cases highlight concerns about prosecutorial conduct that prioritizes punitive control over human rights and judicial compliance, raising questions about the integrity of the justice systems in Argentina and Russia.
A coalition of human rights organizations has issued an urgent appeal to Argentine authorities regarding Russian dissident Konstantin Rudnev. The group warns that transferring Rudnev from house arrest to prison could be fatal due to his deteriorating health. They argue that prolonged detention and interrupted medical care have left him too fragile for high-security incarceration. The letter also criticizes Prosecutor Fernando Arrigo, citing a psychological study that suggests his conduct in this and other cases is obsessive and disproportionate. The signatories request that authorities halt the transfer and consider removing the prosecutor to ensure impartiality and protect Rudnev's right to life and dignity in Argentina.
Japan has implemented a government policy aimed at changing the views of minors raised in Unification Church households. The program includes school-based education on religious abuse, consumer education regarding donations, and distribution of SOS leaflets. Counselors trained by former members provide support, and children may be referred to mental health centers. The Ministry of Justice’s human rights classrooms teach that religious practices constitute abuse. Although UN special rapporteurs warned the guidelines violate freedom of religion and could stigmatize religious minorities, the Japanese government has not revised the policy. Instead, it actively trains teachers and social workers to identify and intervene with these children, even without explicit complaints from the students themselves.
Maria Vardé argues that the Tai Ji Men case in Taiwan demonstrates institutional violence through misclassification. State agencies treated the qigong and martial arts community as a taxable cram school rather than a spiritual menpai. Although courts acquitted members of tax fraud in 2007 and recognized the group's true nature in 2018, tax authorities continued enforcement actions. Vardé contends that this bureaucratic categorization stripped the practice of its cultural meaning, forcing members to defend themselves against fiscal charges. The incident highlights how state legibility mechanisms can persistently harm religious minorities despite judicial corrections.
On June 22, 2026, Japan's Supreme Court upheld the dissolution of the Unification Church, now called the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification. The court ruled that the organization's long-term solicitation of donations for humanitarian activities abroad constituted tortious conduct harmful to public welfare. Consequently, the religious entity lost its legal status and all assets were ordered to be liquidated. The court dismissed arguments regarding freedom of religion, stating that the loss of legal personality is not a restriction on individual belief. This decision follows civil tort cases filed by former members, marking the end of the church's formal legal presence in Japan.
An analysis by Massimo Introvigne compares the 1970s repression of the New Testament Church in Taiwan with the ongoing Tai Ji Men case. The New Testament Church, led by Elijah Hong, faced police raids, property seizure, and violence under the authoritarian Kuomintang regime for its spiritual independence. Although Martial Law ended in 1987, the Tai Ji Men qigong group later faced bureaucratic harassment and tax disputes. The article argues that both cases reveal a persistent state suspicion toward autonomous spiritual movements, where legal and administrative tools are used to suppress groups that do not align with political authority.
Authorities in China have sentenced members of the spiritual group Lifechanyuan following a coordinated operation. According to Bitter Winter, more than eighty individuals were detained across several regions during the crackdown. Sentencing outcomes indicate that three members received prison terms and fines, while two others received suspended sentences. The group faces charges under Article 300 of the Criminal Law for using superstition to undermine law implementation. Scholar Massimo Introvigne notes that the movement, which promotes communal living, continues to face state suppression despite its non-violent nature. The lack of transparent legal documentation raises concerns about due process.
Rosita Šorytė introduced a session on the Tai Ji Men legal case in Taiwan at a conference in Skopje, North Macedonia. The discussion focused on the group's teaching regarding the priority of conscience and its conflict with state authorities. Dr. Hong Tao-Tze, the movement's leader, emphasizes moral clarity and peaceful resolution. The session examined how bureaucratic systems can cause institutional violence against spiritual communities. Participants analyzed the case through legal, religious, and political perspectives. The event highlighted tensions between freedom of religion and administrative power in Taiwan. A film by Tai Ji Men illustrated the internal roots of conflict.
Journalist Fumihiro Kato argues that Japanese media and activists fabricated a narrative leading to the dissolution of the Unification Church after Shinzo Abe's 2022 assassination. According to Kato's analysis, news outlets rapidly shifted focus from mourning to political collusion, using emotional language to pressure the Kishida administration. Although public interest remained limited, the perceived atmosphere prompted government action. Kato warns this constitutes information warfare that threatens judicial independence and human rights in Japan by allowing reputational damage to override legal evidence.
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