Unification Church slams Japan’s dissolution request as a threat to religious freedom

By MARI YAMAGUCHI
Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) — The Japanese branch of the Unification Church has criticized the Japanese government’s request for a court order to dissolve the group, saying it’s a serious threat to religious freedom and human rights of its followers. Japan’s Education Ministry last week asked the Tokyo District Court to revoke the legal status of the Unification Church after a ministry investigation concluded the group for decades has systematically manipulated its followers into donating money, sowing fear and harming their families. The investigation followed months of public outrage over the group’s fundraising and recruitment tactics after former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s assassination last year. The man accused of shooting Abe allegedly was motivated by the his links to the church.