Women Press Freedom denounces arrest, alarmed by the deterioration of press freedom in Mongolia

Location: Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar
Date: May 5, 2024

Women Press Freedom expresses grave concern over the arrest and prosecution of Bayarmaa Ayurzana, the editor-in-chief of Tac.mn. This alarming situation is further exacerbated by the recent murder of her investigative partner just ten days before her arrest, intensifying fears for the safety of journalists in Mongolia.  Ayurzana faces bogus charges following her investigations into suspected misuse of public funds by Mongolia’s deputy prime minister. If convicted, she could spend up to eight years behind bars. Women Press Freedom is alarmed at the escalating hostile environment for press in Mongolia, where journalists are increasingly thrown into jail for their work. We demand an immediate end to the targeting of Bayarmaa Ayurzana, who is blatantly being hit with baseless charges for exposing state corruption. In light of the tragic death of her investigative partner, we further call for urgent international intervention to protect Ayurzana and ensure all charges against her are immediately dropped.

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On May 5, 2024, in Ulaanbaatar, journalist Bayarmaa Ayurzana was arrested and detained for 48 hours for "threatening to disseminate information that might cause serious damage" to Mongolia’s Deputy Prime Minister.

Ayurzana, a key figure in exposing alleged abuses of power within the Mongolian government, is now facing prosecution rather than protection for her critical investigative work. The charges threaten Ayurzana with a severe penalty of up to eight years in prison.

Between March 2021 and August 2022, Ayurzana’s investigations highlighted purported embezzlement schemes linked to Deputy Prime Minister Sainbuyan. Her reports also revealed instances of undue influence by the deputy prime minister to evade legal consequences, including obstructing a court decision.

In January 2024, before her arrest, police raided Bayarmaa Ayurzana’s home, seizing her phones, laptop, and a notebook containing a flash drive, which remains confiscated.

Ten days before her arrest, her investigative partner, lawyer G. Batbayar, was found dead from an apparent gunshot wound inside his vehicle. Batbayar had spent eight years battling illegal activities by mining companies allegedly connected to the deputy prime minister’s circle.

The suspicious circumstances surrounding the death of Ayurzana’s collaborator, G. Batbayar, amplify our concerns for the security of journalists and their collaborators in Mongolia.

The targeting of Bayarmaa Ayurzana is part of a broader pattern of threats against journalists in Mongolia. The country’s press freedom has sharply declined, as reflected in Reporter Without Border’s 2024 World Press Freedom Index ranking 109th out of 180 territories. This downward trend is further illustrated by the December 2023 arrest of Naran Unurtsetseg, editor-in-chief of zarig.mn, for a Facebook comment criticizing a court's handling of an elderly individual. Unurtsetseg was detained for 68 days before her release in February 2024.

Women Press Freedom vehemently condemns the persecution of Bayarmaa Ayurzana. We demand the immediate dropping of all charges against her and the return of her confiscated materials. We urge international and local bodies to intensify efforts to protect journalists from harm and uphold their rights to investigate and report without fear of persecution.

Women Press Freedom is an initiative by The Coalition For Women In Journalism

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.

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