Coalition calls for religious freedom and fair trial rights
27 August 2026 | Dizindaba Staff Reporter | Cape Town
Saturday, 22 August 2026, 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 on Friday, one day after Lee’s bail hearing in South Korea. The outcome remains pending. Lee has been in detention since 24 June 2026 and has not been convicted, meaning the presumption of innocence remains intact.
SALC-FFJ said his age, reported health concerns and cooperation with the judicial process raise questions about the continued need for detention and whether alternatives could be considered.
Speaking at the conference, South African Human Rights Commission Chairperson Chris Nissen referred to South Africa’s history of detention without trial and stressed that the dignity of people deprived of liberty must be protected.
“A society is determined by how they look at the most vulnerable and how you treat them.”
Nissen called for Lee’s release, saying: “We’ll use whatever influence, wherever we find influence, we’ll use that influence to say, release, release [him] now.”
Pastor Nceba Mkatsane of the Church of Christ said the issue extends beyond religious denominations, while former Cape Times editor Aziz Hartley urged journalists to scrutinise power and give a voice to those who may otherwise be unheard.
SALC-FFJ co-founder Magdalene Govender said South Africa’s experience of receiving international solidarity during apartheid creates a responsibility to speak up when fundamental rights are threatened elsewhere.
More than 220 organisations and leaders across the region have endorsed the Coalition’s statement calling for proportionality, fair trial guarantees and the protection of religious freedom.
The Coalition said its position is not based on denomination or political affiliation, but on the principle that human rights, dignity, religious freedom and the presumption of innocence must apply to everyone, regardless of nationality, age or faith.
