The highly controversial unification church faces the dissolution in Japan

Tokyo (AFP): The unification church has been under intense scrutiny in Japan since a former prime minister was killed, but could soon fall farther from grace.

The authorities said in October 2023 that they were trying to dissolve the influential sect, founded in South Korea and nicknamed the “Moonies” after their deceased founder, Sun Myung Moon.

The Church is accused of pressing the followers to make donations of ruin of life, and blamed for child negligence among its members, although it has denied any irregularity.

Now a court order is expected to strip the legal recognition group as soon as this month, the main Japanese media reported.

The dissolution would eliminate the exempt state of taxes of the Church while marking the organization a harmful entity.

Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the oldest leader in Japan, was shot dead in the campaign in 2022, supposedly by a man who bothered in the unification church.

Investigations after Abe’s murder revealed close links between the sect and many conservative legislators of ruling parties, which led to the resignation of four ministers.

Even after its dissolution, the unification church could continue with religious practices, said lawyer Katsuomi Abe.

But “his reputation will decrease, and the number of followers will decrease,” said Abe, who represents former believers who seek compensation after making great donations.

The amount donated by Japanese members over the decades has been estimated by some hundreds of millions of US dollars or more.

Since 2023, almost 200 people have demanded compensation of 5.7 billion yen ($ 38.5 million) in total, according to Abe and other lawyers.

“I don’t think any other organization has caused such damage” to Japanese society, he told AFP.

– Help calls –

It would be the third religious group ordered to dissolve in Japan, another is the cult of Aum Shinrikyo, who launched a deadly nervous agent in the Tokyo subway 30 years ago.

Aum finally declared bankruptcy, but its two successive groups continue to operate in the country.

The Church of Unification, officially the Family Federation for Peace and Unification of the World, was founded in 1954.

He rose to world prominence in the seventies and 80, and became famous for mass weddings that are often celebrated in stadiums.

His affiliated groups have secured Donald Trump and ABE addresses of Japan, who was not a member of the Church or his subgroups, but delivered a video speech at a 2021 event.

The man accused of killing Abe is Tetsuya Yamagami, 44, whose mother is said to donate 100 million yen ($ 1 million at that time) to the church of unification in total.

Yamagami, now in prior detention to the trial, could face the death penalty if it is convicted.

According to reports, he tried to commit suicide in the past, while his brother took his life.

His uncle described receiving Yamagami help calls when his mother left his children alone and without food to attend the Church.

Since Abe’s murder, the Church has pledged to avoid donations of “excessive” members.

– ‘Isolated’ –

Japan has long been a financial center for the Unification Church, which tells members to atone for the occupation of Korea in times of war and sells expensive items to grant forgiveness of sins.

A man whose parents are members told a recent meeting of lawyers that his family could not pay the school team or even sometimes to bathe.

They told him not to interact with the “satanic non -members” and felt “alone and isolated.” He said his brother took his life last year after suffering mental health problems.

It could take up to a year for the dissolution order to end if the Church appeals.

The lawyers warn that the group could transfer their financial assets elsewhere, partly due to a 2023 bill approved by the ruling part that critics, according to critics, give a light touch in financing.

“They have been sending tens of billions of yen every year to their southern Korea headquarters,” Abe said.

He and other lawyers are asking for a stronger legislation so that money can be returned to the victims.

Abe warned the Church’s assets, Abe warned.

“There is a great question about how many years the liquidation process will take … and if it will work out,” he said. – AFP