A court in Japan ordered the dissolution of the controversial unification church, which was examined after the death of the shock of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2022.
The alleged assassin had admitted that he had a grievance against Abe because of the ex-leader’s bonds with the Church, better known as “Moonies”.
The Japanese Ministry of Education and Culture requested the dissolution of the Church and accused it of manipulating the followers to make huge gifts and other financial sacrifices.
But the church had argued that the donations he had received were part of legitimate religious activities and should not justify his dissolution. He can appeal to reverse the decision on Tuesday.
The order made by a district court of Tokyo will strip the church from its exemption from tax and require it to liquidate its assets, but it will always be authorized to operate in Japan.
During their investigation, the authorities found that the Church forced followers to buy expensive articles by exploiting the fears of their spiritual well-being.
They interviewed nearly 200 people who said they were victims of the church.
The Unification Church, which has been launched in South Korea, has established a presence in Japan since the 1960s. The name “Moonies” is derived from the name of its founder, Sun Myung Moon.
He aroused controversy even before Abe’s assassination to teach that marriage is at the heart of spiritual salvation. He is known to organize mass wedding ceremonies involving thousands of couples.
Since 2023, some 200 former believers who said they had been forced to donate to the group have required compensation amounting to 5.7 billion yen ($ 38.5 million) in total, according to their lawyers.
Investigations following Abe’s assassination revealed close ties between the secret sect and numerous conservative legislators to the parties of power, leading to the resignation of four ministers.
An internal investigation by the Liberal Democratic Party of former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida revealed that 179 of his 379 legislators had interacted with the Unification Church.
Relations ranged from participation in the events of the Church in the acceptance of donations and the reception of support for the elections.
The revelations on the extent and level of involvement of the controversial church and the LDP shocked the nation.
