Court detains journalist N.Unurtsetseg for one month
Editor-in-Chief of Zarig.mn and journalist N.Unurtsetseg was charged with contempt of court. N.Unurtsetseg was charged by the Prosecutor’s Office of Chingeltei District for “... using her Facebook account called Unurtsetseg Naran to discredit the reputation of the court and spread false information that misleads the public.” A proposal to take restraining measures to limit the crossing of the border was submitted to the Criminal Court of First Instance of Chingeltei District. On November 29, the court reviewed the prosecutor’s proposal and decided to take preventive measures to restrict the accused N.Unurtsetseg from leaving the border of Mongolia.
Also, according to the letter from the Investigative Service of the General Police Department, access to the Zarig.mn website was completely restricted on December 2. As a result, journalist N.Unurtsetseg and site workers announced a sit-in at Sukhbaatar Square starting December 1, demanding to re-open the website. In connection with this issue, the Confederation of Mongolian Journalists (CMJ) and professional associations submitted demands to Head of the General Police Department T. Sukhbold and Prosecutor-General of Mongolia B.Jargalsaikhan, demanding that the action be stopped.
Z.Borgilmaa, vice-president of CMJ in charge of legal and professional ethics, said, “Blocking the media channel is an attack on the freedom of the press and stifling the citizens’ right to know. We oppose it because it is an attack on the rights of citizens in a society with the right to express their opinions.”
The joint statement issued by the Media Council of Mongolia and the Globe International Center says, “Journalist N.Unurtsetseg was banned from leaving the border on the grounds of spreading false information. The court discussed the restriction of professional activities, and the issues related to the journalist’s professional ethics were not only investigated in criminal proceedings but also the Zarig.mn website was banned as an illegal domain. The inclusion in the illegal domain list does not comply with international agreements guaranteeing the right to freedom of expression. According to the Constitution, state institutions such as the Prosecutor’s Office of Songinokhairkhan District, the Investigation Department of the General Police Department, and the Communications Regulatory Commission should not impose censorship on journalistic activities. We demand to review the decision to include the website in the list of conflicting domain names and take immediate action.”
Then, on December 1, the court held a hearing in the Songinokhairkhan District court based on the prosecutor’s proposal to detain N.Unurtsetseg for one month. The prosecutor appealed the decision to the Chief Justice. The hearing of the complaint ended on December 4. Before being imprisoned, N.Unurtseteg said, “The legal authorities and the whole apparatus are working against me. They say there are six criminal complaints against me. The public needs to know whether N.Unurtsetseg committed the crime. I didn’t know I would be in this situation. I could not plan it earlier because I didn’t know. The authorities want to silence everyone until the election. They are deciding everything about my fate, my work. From today, I will be slandered. Therefore, after this time, I would like to ask the people to believe only the words that come out of my mouth. Zarig.mn is closed. The authorities said they would open it. It has not been opened yet. Someone won’t let me out of prison. Therefore, I want all investigations to be conducted openly. I have not done anything wrong, so I will stand by my values and protect Mongolian democracy. I have come to the crossroads of many things that I don’t even know about. What I am saying is that the whole press should not be silenced. If a journalist becomes silent, the values of a democratic society will disappear. I will show that the truth wins. It may take time.”
In connection with the restriction of access to the Zarig.mn website, the National Human Rights Commission contacted the General Police Department on December 2. So far, no announcement has been made regarding N.Unurtsetseg’s imprisonment. The Zarig.mn became open to public on December 5.
Moreover, on December 5, the Investigative Service provided information on the detention of journalist, N.Unurtsetseg. Police Colonel B.Bayanmunkh said, “We received complaints and information about crimes as stipulated in the criminal law. Investigations are being conducted on the grounds and procedures provided for in the law. We are investigating N.Unurtsetseg in connection with cases of violation of human and civil dignity, spreading false information using social media, disclosure of investigative secrets, and threatening to take other people’s property.”
“The above-mentioned criminal acts were not investigated by the police on its initiative. Citizens and legal entities have filed complaints. The journalist is being investigated by the Criminal Procedure Law. She was also repeatedly served with a summons by the prosecutor to present the case against her, but she did not show up. Everyone has equal rights before the law and courts. N.Unurtsetseg does not have the privilege of not coming to be summoned by the detective, prosecutor, or court. This is to inform you that the investigation by the police is conducted under the supervision of the Prosecutor’s Office.” he continued.