[BREAKING} Statement from 70th Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on the Sentencing of Dr. Hak Ja Han
"The sentencing of religious leader Dr. Hak Ja Han to two years in prison is deeply troubling for anyone who cares about religious liberty and free expression. The evidence suggests that Dr. Han was targeted for her religious and political beliefs.
Dr. Han has never been charged with so much as a parking ticket in her life, yet has already been detained for nearly a year in terrible conditions despite her advanced age and health problems.
This is a betrayal of South Korea’s hard-won democratic values. I pray that the government of South Korea reconsiders this case on appeal and does not go further down the path of religious persecution."
South Korea’s backsliding on religious freedom should be concerning to everyone. The miscarriage of justice in the case of Dr. Hak Ja Han alarmingly shows that its judicial system is failing to live up to democratic standards
Dr. Han, the 83-year old leader of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, has been convicted in a case where the allegations against her came from a disgruntled and disgraced former church officer who had already been expelled from the Family Federation. She has serious health issues and no criminal history but is being treated like a hardened criminal.
Perhaps most alarming in all of this are the reports that the Chinese Communist Party, no friend to religious freedom or other democratic values, is partially behind this and other persecutions by supporting the groups advocating for the prosecutions. Dr. Han’s family and the church are well known for their anti-communist crusades and South Korea should protect against CCP influences in its legal system.
It is a travesty of justice that Dr. Han has been convicted. I hope the courts will consider her health and allow her to stay out of prison while her appeal is being considered.
The sentencing of religious leader Dr. Hak Ja Han to two years in prison is deeply troubling for anyone who cares about religious liberty and free expression.
My full statement:
https://t.co/VnbbaaiNqy
"At what point does justice become inhumane?” - Dr. Demian Dunkley
That question will become even more important in a matter of hours, when 83-year-old Dr. Hak Ja Han is expected to receive the verdict in her case in South Korea.
Prosecutors have asked for a 13-year prison sentence. Dr. Han has denied the allegations against her.
Before the court rules, I encourage you to hear Dr. Dunkley explain who Dr. Han is, what has happened to her, and why her case should matter to anyone who believes in religious liberty.
Listen now at https://t.co/OSlEhZPQGJ
Charlie Kirk understood that the fight for religious freedom in South Korea was not an isolated issue.
What happens to Dr. Hak Ja Han matters far beyond Korea. The freedom to believe, worship, and practice your faith must be defended everywhere, or ultimately it will be secure nowhere.
Her verdict is approaching. The world should be paying attention.
https://t.co/OSlEhZPQGJ
In a matter of hours, Dr. Hak Ja Han is expected to learn her fate in a South Korean courtroom. Prosecutors have asked for a 13-year prison sentence for the 83-year-old religious leader, who has denied the allegations against her.
I asked Dr. Demian Dunkley to join me on Newt’s World because people need to understand who Dr. Han is, what has happened to her, and why I believe this case is about far more than one woman or one church.
I believe there is a global war on God taking place in plain sight, and Dr. Han has found herself in the middle of it. Before the court rules, I hope you will listen to this important conversation. https://t.co/OSlEhZPQGJ
Mother Han’s case in Korea. She was sentenced to 2 years rather than the absurd 13 years requested by the prosecutor. But she is innocent and should have been acquitted
https://t.co/W3VY3Ln0y3