Head of Parliament’s temporary committee reviewing S.Zorig’s assassination case J.Batzandan and lawmaker L.Bold, a member of the committee, held a press conference at the State Palace on Thursday to report on results from the committee’s second meeting.
The head of the temporary committee pointed out that the committee held its second meeting on May 16, and reached some key decisions.
“All decision of review, repeal and supreme courts over S.Zorig's assassination case are classified and not only lawmakers but also the public demand law enforcement authorities to declassify the court rulings, but they are still classified documents until today, which is why the temporary committee invited Deputy Attorney General M.Chinbat to attend today’s meeting. After discussing this issue with M.Chinbat, we reached a decision to declassify the court decisions.”
J.Batzandan said, “At the end of a three-day mission in September 2017, a task force from the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) confirmed concerns that the trial and conviction of three individuals for the assassination violated international fair-trial standards and further undermined the legitimacy and integrity of the judicial process. The IPU delegation wanted to meet those convicted of S.Zorig's assassination face to face, but the law enforcement authorities did not accept the IPU delegation’s request. As a result of today’s meeting, we reached a decision that the IPU delegation can meet with the three people convicted of the assassination, so we are inviting the IPU delegates to come to Ulaanbaatar to meet with the three people.”
The lawmaker stressed that not only those convicted of S.Zorig’s assassination, but also many people were tortured by law enforcement authorities.
J.Batzandan said that as a number of people are living abroad as political refugees due to law enforcement authorities’ torture over S.Zorig’s assassination case, they can contact with the temporary committee to have their rights and safety be protected.
L.Bold said that those convicted of S.Zorig’s assassination should be freed from jail under the law as majority of the committee’s members believe that the three people sentenced in the assassination case are innocent and are in prison due to the political interests of those linked to the assassination case.