Japan’s Supreme Court has upheld a lower court order demanding the dissolution of the Unification Church, officially known as the World Peace and Unification Family Federation. The ruling, delivered today, rejects the church’s appeal against the order issued last year, which stemmed from decades of complaints regarding the organization’s fundraising practices. These practices were deemed to be manipulative and coercive, causing significant financial and spiritual harm to its followers. The court specifically found that the church’s actions were systematically harmful and exceeded the boundaries of protected religious activity. Crucially, the court affirmed that the dissolution order does not infringe upon constitutional guarantees of freedom of religion and association. This decision marks a significant legal precedent regarding the limits of religious freedom when abuses occur. The government initiated the dissolution process following the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who had links to the Unification Church.