The violation of devotees’ human rights may meet the threshold for crimes against humanity under the Rome Statute.
Op-eds Global
Misinterpreting Court Decisions: The Madrid Ruling Against the Jehovah’s Witnesses
Media and anti-cultists misinterpret a (wrong) decision as a judicial condemnation of the religion rather than a free-speech case.
Quebec’s Bill 9: When Secularism Treats Religion as a Problem
A sweeping prohibition on prayer, worship, and faith‑based identity in public life raises profound constitutional and human rights concerns
“Brainwashing,” Steven Hassan, and the OneTaste Case. 2. The Prosecution of Nicole Daedone
The anti-cult movement needed a “legal precedent” to reintroduce the discredited idea that “cults” use “mental manipulation.”
“Brainwashing,” Steven Hassan, and the OneTaste Case. 1. Weaponizing Anti-Trafficking Laws
Anti-cultists persuaded prosecutors to reintroduce discredited mental manipulation theories by interpreting anti-prostitution and forced labor statutes.
When Courts Interpret Doctrine: A Japanese Scholar’s Concerns About the Unification Church Decision
An academic who left the church in 1992 denounces the misinterpretation of its theology in the verdict that dissolved the Family Federation.
France, Famille Missionnaire de Notre-Dame: When Ninety Percent Is Not Enough
Despite broad acquittals, the lone conviction for “psychological subjection” risks turning France’s justice system into an arbiter of acceptable spirituality.
The Tokyo High Court Unification Church Decision. 6. Who Will Protect the Believers?
The court assures us that individual devotees will not be discriminated against. The reality is different.
The Tokyo High Court Unification Church Decision. 5. Violating International Law
Restricting freedom of religion or belief on the grounds of “social acceptability” and “public welfare” is prohibited by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
The Tokyo High Court Unification Church Decision. 4. The 2009 “Compliance Declaration”
After 2009, the number of incidents involving alleged improper solicitation of donations dropped to nearly zero. But the court maintains the problem still exists.