#moonies

2026年7月16日 16時11分 米田優人

世界平和統一家庭連合（旧統一教会）信者の後藤徹氏が、ジャーナリストの鈴木エイト氏がニュースサイトに出した記事などで名誉を傷つけられたと訴えた訴訟で、最高裁第三小法廷（渡辺恵理子裁判長）は、後藤氏側の上告を棄却した。15日付の決定。後藤氏が敗訴した二審・東京高裁判決が確定した。

後藤氏は、脱会を強要されたのは違法だとして親族らを提訴し、親族らに賠償を命じた判決が確定している。鈴木氏はこれをふまえ、後藤氏について「12年間に及ぶ引きこもり生活の末、裁判で2千万円をGETした」とする記事を配信するなどした。

一審・東京地裁は、一部の記事を名誉毀損（きそん）だと認め、鈴木氏に11万円の賠償を命じた。しかし、高裁は、後藤氏について継続的に取材していた鈴木氏には「引きこもり」と表現する相当な理由があったなどと述べ、記事などの違法性を認めなかった。

第三小法廷は決定で、上告できる理由にあたる憲法違反などがない、とだけ判断した。

July 16, 2026, 4:11 PM by Yuto Yoneda

In a defamation lawsuit filed by Toru Goto—a member of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (formerly the Unification Church)—against journalist Eito Suzuki over articles published on news sites, the Third Petty Bench of the Supreme Court (Presiding Judge Eriko Watanabe) dismissed the appeal filed by Goto. The decision, dated July 15, finalized the Tokyo High Court’s appellate ruling that had gone against Goto.

Goto had previously sued his relatives, claiming that being forced to leave the religious group was illegal; a judgment ordering his relatives to pay damages in that case had already become final. Based on this background, Suzuki published articles stating that Goto had "secured 20 million yen in court after living as a hikikomori [social recluse] for 12 years."

The court of first instance, the Tokyo District Court, found that some of the articles constituted defamation and ordered Suzuki to pay 110,000 yen in damages. However, the High Court overturned this, ruling that Suzuki—who had been covering Goto continuously—had reasonable grounds to describe him as a hikikomori, and thus found no illegality in the articles.

Special counsel seeks 13 years for Unification Church leader

Han Hak-ja is accused of political fund violations, bribery-related offenses, embezzlement and ordering evidence destruction.

July 10, 2026 / 7:14 PM

By Asia Today and translated by UPI

Photo: Han Hak-ja, leader of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, arrives Thursday at the Seoul Central District Court for the final hearing in her trial over alleged improper ties between religion and politics under the Yoon Suk Yeol government. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

July 10 (Asia Today) -- A special counsel team on Thursday sought a 13-year prison term for Han Hak-ja, leader of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, commonly known as the Unification Church, over allegations involving improper ties between religion and politics.

The team led by special counsel Min Joong-ki made the request during the final hearing in Han's trial at the Seoul Central District Court. Han has been charged with violating the Political Funds Act and other offenses.

The special counsel asked the court to sentence Han to five years in prison on the political funds charge and eight years on the remaining charges.

"Han and others used vast financial resources to unlawfully and improperly use public authority in an effort to expand religious interests and influence and realize the integration of religion and politics," the special counsel team said.

The team said the alleged crimes "directly violated the spirit of the Constitution and damaged representative democracy."

"Han and others, as top leaders of a religious organization, privately used donations voluntarily made by believers and improperly colluded with political forces in an attempt to influence South Korea," the team said.

The special counsel also sought prison terms for other defendants being tried with Han.

For a former chief of staff identified only by the surname Chung, the team requested four years in prison on the political funds charge and six years on the remaining charges.

For Yun Young-ho, former head of the church's world headquarters, the team sought one year and six months in prison on the political funds charge and two years on the remaining charges. The team requested three years in prison for Yun's wife, identified only by the surname Lee.

Han is accused of conspiring with Yun and others to deliver 100 million won, about $66,000, in political funds to People Power Party lawmaker Kweon Seong-dong in January 2022.

She is also accused of involvement in delivering gifts to former first lady Kim Keon Hee through Jeon Seong-bae, a religious figure known as Geonjin, while seeking favors related to church affairs in 2022.

Han also faces allegations that she embezzled church funds and ordered Yun to destroy evidence in October 2022 in preparation for a police investigation into allegations that she gambled overseas.

Han arrived at the court at about 9:29 a.m. wearing a black jacket and white pants and using a wheelchair. She did not answer reporters' questions, including whether she had given gifts to Kim.

Special counsel seeks 13-yr prison term for Unification Church leader in bribery case

Chae Yun-hwan National 11:49 July 10, 2026

SEOUL, July 10 (Yonhap) -- A special counsel team on Friday sought a 13-year prison term for Unification Church leader Han Hak-ja on multiple charges that include bribing the wife of former President Yoon Suk Yeol.

Special counsel Min Joong-ki's team made the sentencing recommendation at the Seoul Central District Court after indicting Han for her alleged role in gifting a luxury necklace and Chanel bags to former first lady Kim Keon Hee while requesting favors for the church in July 2022.

Supreme Court Confirms 1-Year-6-Month Sentence for Unification Church Head

Former leader sentenced in Chanel bag solicitation case involving Kim Keon-hee, People Power Party Rep. Kweon Seong-dong

By Kim Na-yeong Published 2026.07.09. 11:44 Updated 2026.07.09. 13:44

Photo: Yun Young-ho, former World Director of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (FFWPU) (Unification Church). /News1

The Supreme Court on the 9th confirmed the actual prison sentence of former Unification Church global head Yun Young-ho, who provided money and goods to former first lady Kim Keon-hee and People Power Party Rep. Kweon Seong-dong and solicited favors regarding Unification Church issues. This marks the first Supreme Court ruling on the Unification Church solicitation case.

The Supreme Court’s Third Division (presiding Justice Oh Seok-jun) dismissed the appeal against the lower court’s sentence of 1 year and 6 months in prison for Yun, who faced charges including violations of the Improper Solicitation Prevention Act, Political Funds Act, and breach of trust.

Yun is accused of purchasing two Chanel bags and a Graff necklace between April and July 2022 as a reward for soliciting favors related to Unification Church issues, then gifting them to Ms. Kim through Jeon Seong-bae, a shaman widely known as Geonjin. He also faces charges of embezzling Unification Church funds during the purchase of these items.

Yun received a prison sentence of 1 year and 2 months in the first trial, but the sentence was increased to 1 year and 6 months in the second trial. The first trial found Yun guilty only of delivering one of the two Chanel bags to Ms. Kim in July 2022. This was because Ms. Kim was not the spouse of a public official at the time of the first bag’s delivery in April 2022. The court also ruled Yun not guilty of breach of trust, as it did not recognize his intent to illegally acquire property (the intent to use or dispose of another’s property as one’s own).

However, the appellate court ruled, “There is no fundamental difference in illegality or criticizability in using religious organization funds under the pretext of providing gifts to the spouse of a president-elect or president to solicit favors, regardless of whether it is before or after the president’s inauguration,” and found Yun guilty of all charges related to the two Chanel bags. Regarding the embezzlement charges, the court overturned the previous judgment, stating, “It is unjust for the establishment of breach of trust charges to vary based on the temporal coincidence that the recipient was not yet the spouse of a public official.”

Yun was found guilty in both the first and second trials of providing illegal political funds worth 100 million Korean won to Rep. Kweon. Conversely, the charge of destroying evidence (evidence tampering) after obtaining police investigation information regarding overseas gambling by Unification Church leader Han Hak-ja and others was dismissed, as it was deemed outside the scope of investigation under the Special Counsel Act.

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4 years after Abe’s death, killer still blames church for woes

By KO SENDO/ Staff Writer July 8, 2026 at 16:18 JST

Tetsuya Yamagami, in the Nara District Court on Jan. 21, listens as the presiding judge reads the verdict sentencing him to life in prison. (Illustration by Eri Iwasaki)

On the fourth anniversary of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s assassination, jailhouse interviews with his convicted killer reveal a man still obsessed with the downfall of the Unification Church, which he blames for ruining his family. 

Tetsuya Yamagami, 45, seems less concerned with his own life sentence and still bears the grudge that led him to kill Abe on July 8, 2022, in Nara, who he believed had close ties to the church.

Yamagami was sentenced to life in prison by the Nara District Court in January for murder and violating the Swords and Firearms Control Law.

He has since appealed the sentence and is awaiting trial at the Osaka High Court.

In three meetings with The Asahi Shimbun since the verdict, Yamagami has remained largely dispassionate.

During a meeting on June 5 at the Osaka Detention House, Yamagami appeared with his hair down to his shoulders. Pushing back his center-parted bangs, he answered questions with his eyes downcast, avoiding eye contact.

When asked how he was doing, he replied only, “So-so.” When a reporter explained the planned article, his responses were a curt “Ah” and “Oh.”

The first post-verdict meeting took place on Feb. 4.

A reporter asked Yamagami how he felt about the life sentence handed down by the Nara District Court on Jan. 21.

Yamagami replied quietly, as if gauging the intent of the judges who reached the verdict: “Well, Mr. Abe is dead. …”

He did not elaborate further, but at times disputed the ruling, saying, “There are problems with it.”

ANXIETY OVER DISSOLUTION ORDER The conversation turned to the court’s conclusion that there was “a leap” between his troubled upbringing—where his mother’s large donations to the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (former Unification Church) caused family discord—and the circumstances that drove him to murder.

“If my older brother (who died by suicide in opposition to the church) hadn’t died, I probably would have lived a normal life,” Yamagami said.

Regarding the church, he was emphatic: “It is certain that it would be better if they were dissolved.”

His wish has since been realized. Following a Tokyo District Court ruling in March 2025, the Tokyo High Court upheld the government’s dissolution order for the church in March 2026, initiating its liquidation process.

During a subsequent meeting on May 29, while on a different topic, Yamagami suddenly confided, “I was anxious until the dissolution order was issued.”

It was a rare, direct expression of emotion from Yamagami, who throughout his trial and interviews has spoken of himself in a detached, objective manner.

The exchange suggested that for Yamagami, the fate of the church was of greater interest than his own life sentence.

‘NOTHING FROM ME’ FOR APPEAL Currently, as preparations for Yamagami’s appeal hearing at the Osaka High Court are ongoing, his courtroom persona remains unchanged.

In his first trial, he spoke of his circumstances dispassionately, as if they belonged to someone else.

When asked during a meeting if he had anything he wanted to convey to society in his appeal, Yamagami answered without changing his expression: “There is nothing from me.”

According to sources, Yamagami’s defense team has been revamped, with one of the four original lawyers being replaced. The new member is an attorney from the National Network of Lawyers Against Spiritual Sales, a group that combats damages caused by the church.

The defense is expected to re-emphasize the negative influence the church had on Yamagami’s family.

They will likely argue that the church’s practice of soliciting repeated, large donations from believers was a key factor behind the defendant’s crime.

Reformation, Integration and Sovereignty – Blessed Child

Join me on EP 67 while I explain the reformation stage or RIS – Reformation Integration and Sovereignty a journey towards self after leaving a high control group Please reach out to me on instagram at Blessed child to talk about how you discovered ways to self-regulate after leaving a cult!

Japan top court upholds order to dissolve Unification Church - The Japan Times

For those of us who were born into the Unification Church, many of our parents or grandparents gave sacrificially for decades. If your family made donations and you have receipts, financial records, or other evidence of those contributions, please consider looking into the official claims process. Whether you decide to file or not is entirely your choice, but I wanted to make sure anyone who may qualify knows this opportunity exists.