Bitter Winter

Bitter Winter is an online magazine focused on religious freedom and human rights, specifically in China. Established in May 2018 by CESNUR, the Center for Studies on New Religions based in Turin, Italy, it brings together scholars, journalists, and human rights advocates from various nations. Their mission is to amplify the voices of those who suffer persecution for their beliefs by sharing news, documents, and personal accounts of religious oppression in China.

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French Cassation: Secular Judges Cannot Review Excluding Decisions by Religious Courts

1 week ago | bitterwinter.org | Massimo Introvigne

by Massimo IntrovigneOn April 4, 2025, the French Court of Cassation rendered an important decision confirming that secular judges cannot review verdicts by ecclesiastical courts based on religious criteria and principles. Explicitly, the judges noted that this decision aligns France with the case law of the European Court of Human Rights and quoted the 2013 Grand Chamber judgement “Sindicatul ‘Păstorul cel Bun’ v.
日本における統一教会の解散：誤った決定の徹底分析４：２００９年のコンプライアンス宣言

1 week ago | bitterwinter.org | Massimo Introvigne

マッシモ・イントロヴィニエ５本の記事の４本目　１本目、２本目、３本目を読むRead the original article in English.
日本における統一教会の解散：誤った決定の徹底分析３：和解と「顕在化していない」事案

1 week ago | bitterwinter.org | Massimo Introvigne

マッシモ・イントロヴィニエ５本の記事３本目　１本目と２本目を読むRead the original article in English.
日本における統一教会の解散：誤った決定の徹底分析２：民法上の不法行為と「公共の福祉」

1 week ago | bitterwinter.org | Massimo Introvigne

マッシモ・イントロヴィニエ５本の記事の２本目　１本目を読むRead the original article in English.
Dane Rudhyar: Theosophist, Composer, Astrologer, Artist

1 week ago | bitterwinter.org | Massimo Introvigne

by Massimo IntrovigneDane Rudhyar (1895–1985) was the most famous astrologer of the 20th century. While his work as composer of cutting-edge contemporary music has been studied, less known outside the circle of his followers is that Rudhyar was also a painter and a participant in significant artistic movements. Rudhyar was the pseudonym of Daniel Chennevière, born in Paris on March 23, 1895. His poor health as a teenager turned him to meditation and music.
When Dvorkin Called FECRIS “Cowards and Racists”

2 weeks ago | bitterwinter.org | Massimo Introvigne

by Massimo Introvigne“Bitter Winter” has received an interesting document, relevant for the history of the international anti-cult movement, a matter we are deeply interested in. We are satisfied it is a public document, on file in accessible official records, which the author never intended as confidential.
Jehovah’s Witnesses in Spain: One Won, One Lost on Appeal

2 weeks ago | bitterwinter.org | Massimo Introvigne

by Massimo IntrovigneIn 2023 and 2024, “Bitter Winter” reported about the strange situation created at the Court of Torrejón de Ardoz in Spain, where four similar cases led to opposite decisions by the same court. All four cases were initiated by the Spanish branch of the Jehovah’s Witnesses. An anti-cult group exists in Spain called Spanish Association of the Victims of the Jehovah’s Witnesses (AEVTJ). The name already tells it all.
Tai Ji Men: Ancestral Wisdom Rooted in the Conscience of a People

2 weeks ago | bitterwinter.org | Marco Respinti

by Marco Respinti**A paper presented via video at the International Forum on World Citizenship Day 2025 “Transitional Justice Through Effective Relief: The Tai Ji Men Case as an Example,” Taipei, April 1, 2025. Today is a special day for the Republic of China in Taiwan. The state and the people of Taiwan celebrate, as do other countries and institutions, the “World Citizenship Day.” I would like to emphasize the importance of this date.
Unification Church Dissolution in Japan: An In-Depth Analysis of a Wrong Decision. 5. Violating Religious Liberty

2 weeks ago | bitterwinter.org | Massimo Introvigne

by Massimo IntrovigneArticle 5 of 5. Read article 1, article 2, article 3, and article 4. In the previous article of this series, I discussed how the Tokyo District Court, when it pronounced the dissolution of the Unification Church on March 25, dealt with the question of the “Compliance Declaration” of 2009, after which the claims for excessive donations decreased almost to zero. As we have seen, the court’s own statistics confirm that this was the case.
Unification Church Dissolution in Japan: An In-Depth Analysis of a Wrong Decision. 4. The 2009 Compliance Declaration

2 weeks ago | bitterwinter.org | Massimo Introvigne

by Massimo IntrovigneArticle 4 of 5. Read article 1, article 2, and article 3. The eight question the Tokyo District Court answered is when exactly the Church committed the civil torts. Indeed, this is a crucial part of the case and occupies several dozen pages in the verdict.