The Court of Japan orders that the controversial church of ‘Moonies’ dissolves

A court in Japan ordered the dissolution of the controversial unification church, which was subject to scrutiny after Aspires to former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2022.

The alleged murderer had confessed that he He kept a complaint against Abe Due to the bonds of the former leader with the Church, he blamed the Church for banking his family in bankruptcy.

Ministry of Education and Culture of Japan sought church dissolution and accused of manipulating followers to make great donations and other financial sacrifices.

But the Church, more popularly known as the “Moonies”, argued that donations were part of legitimate religious activities. You can attract the decision to revoke on Tuesday.

The order issued by a District Court of Tokyo will strip the church of its tax exempt from taxes and will require liquidation of its assets, but it will still be allowed to operate in Japan.

During their investigation, the authorities discovered that the Church forced the followers to buy expensive items exploiting fears about their spiritual well -being.

They interviewed almost 200 people who said they were victims of the Church.

The unification church, which began in South Korea, has established a presence in Japan since the 1960s. The name “Moonies” was derived from the name of its founder, Sun Myung Moon.

It has generated controversy even before Abe’s murder to teach that marriage is essential for spiritual salvation. He is known for celebrating massive wedding ceremonies involving thousands of couples.

Since 2023, about 200 former believers who said they were forced to donate to the group have demanded compensation for 5.7 billion yen ($ 38.5 million) in total, according to their lawyers.

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

An internal investigation of former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, the Democratic Liberal Party, found that 179 of its 379 legislators had interacted with the Church of Unification.

Relationships went from attending church events to accepting donations and receiving electoral support.

The revelations on the scope and level of participation of the controversial Church and the PLD surprised the nation.