ULAANBAATAR: Mongolia's Standing Committee on Justice convened to discuss the late-night detention and interrogation of "Noorog" content creators. During the session, MP Chuluunbileg Lodoisambuu voiced strong criticism of the police, alleging political interference.
"It is clear from the response of the head of the Police Legal Department that the state is manipulating the narrative. Only one person from 'Noorog' was detained, not three. So why are you providing misleading information about the three?" he asked.
Lodoisambuu, speaking from his own experience as a journalist, claimed he was also detained for expressing his opinion. He added, "I wanted to see the video these young people created. Then their computers were confiscated. However, public outrage was so strong that the police didn't anticipate how well-known 'Noorog' actually was."
He accused the authorities of acting under political pressure. "The police tried to fulfill the orders of the Prime Minister's family. Later, it turned out that one of the members was involved in online gambling. But what is the direction now? Minister of Justice Oyunsaikhan Altangerel is distorting facts and attacking press freedom," he asserted.
Lodoisambuu further criticised the long standing political practice of suppressing dissent. "This is nothing new. When Khishgeegiin Nyambaatar was Minister of Justice, he used to map out and plan detentions. That 'tradition' continued under Minister Battumur Enkhbayar. Will the current minister put an end to this? It’s been five days. Why hasn’t the seized equipment been returned? How long does it take to copy files?"
He commended Chairman Damdin Tsogtbaatar for organising the discussion, emphasising the growing disconnect between the government and the people. "The leaders of this country don't see beyond the Internet. They only perceive society as it appears online. And these are the people leading us." - Go Go Mongolia/ANN
