A person walks past the sign of Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, more commonly known as the Unification Church, at its Tokyo headquarters in Tokyo, Japan August 29, 2022. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon
The Japanese branch of the Unification Church on Monday criticized the Japanese government’s request for a court order to dissolve the group, saying it’s based on groundless accusations and is a serious threat to religious freedom and human rights of its followers.
Japan’s Education Ministry on Friday asked the Tokyo District Court to revoke the legal status of the Unification Church after a ministry investigation concluded the group for decades has systematically manipulated its followers into donating money, sowing fear and harming their families.
The investigation followed months of public outrage and questions about the group’s fundraising and recruitment tactics after former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s assassination last year. The man accused of shooting Abe allegedly was motivated by the former prime minister’s links to the church and blamed it for bankrupting his family.
The government’s request is “extremely disappointing and regrettable,” said the church’s legal affairs department chief, Nobuo Okamura. “We believe the request for a dissolution order is a serious development not only for freedom of religion but also human rights.”
The request asks the court to issue a dissolution order revoking the church’s status as a religious organization. The process involves hearings and appeals from both sides and would take months or possibly years.
If the church is stripped of its legal status, it could still operate but would lose its tax exemption privilege as a religious organization and would face financial setbacks. Some experts and lawyers supporting the victims have cautioned against an attempt by the church to hide its assets before a court decision.
The church worries that the rare dissolution request hurts its image, said Susumu Sato, spokesperson for the group, which officially calls itself the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification. Church officials said followers and their families have been harassed at work and school.
