NEWS PROVIDED BY
Save the Persecuted Christians
July 14, 2026
WASHINGTON, July 14, 2026 /Standard Newswire/ — Save the Persecuted Christians (STPC) today expressed grave concern over the ongoing detention of former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Criminal Justice Morse H. Tan under a politicized exit ban in South Korea. The American citizen and longtime advocate for international religious freedom and human rights has been unable to leave the country for more than five weeks since arriving in early June 2026.
Tan, who served in the Trump administration and led U.S. efforts against mass atrocity crimes including genocide and crimes against humanity, faces a criminal defamation investigation tied solely to protected speech delivered on U.S. soil in Washington, D.C., regarding South Korean President Lee Jae-myung. Prosecutors have escalated the matter, raising the risk of arrest and incarceration.
“This is lawfare — the weaponization of legal mechanisms to silence dissent,” Tan stated in recent English-language interviews. He emphasized protections under the U.S. Constitution, the First Amendment, and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), arguing South Korean courts lack jurisdiction over speech made in America. “This is not the rule of law. This is lawfare where they are weaponizing so-called law to try to go after me.”
The case has drawn minimal coverage from mainstream U.S. media, creating a concerning blackout despite involving a former high-level American official and a key U.S. ally. Details have circulated primarily through alternative platforms and X, with growing calls under #FreeMorseTan for U.S. intervention.
“I reached out to Ambassador Tan earlier today to confirm his situation. He is also concerned that his case has not received the attention it deserves in the States and has asked for our help to expose this CCP-like lawfare that is keeping him hostage in Korea,” said Dede Laugesen, President & CEO of Save the Persecuted Christians. “He is a longtime friend and advocate for the causes we care about.”
STPC urges U.S. officials to press for the immediate lifting of the exit ban and dismissal of charges that criminalize protected American speech. America must defend its citizens and shared values when allies employ authoritarian-style tactics.
For more information, visit savethepersecutedchristians.org or the full report at Substack.
Save the Persecuted Christians is a U.S. nonprofit committed to advocating for persecuted Christians globally.
SOURCE Save the Persecuted Christians
CONTACT: Dede Laugesen, 719-659-3121, dede@savethepersecutedchristians.org