Noorog Creative Studio was raided on March 17, with employees’ phones, hard drives and work computers confiscated. The sudden action disrupted the studio’s operations, making it impossible for employees to communicate. The raid and subsequent interrogation have raised serious concerns about press freedom in Mongolia. Many see the case as an effort to suppress independent media and discourage investigative reporting on the electoral process.
According to sources, the raid began at 10:05 p.m., during which statements were taken from employees. With all phones confiscated, no one was able to contact legal representation or colleagues. Employees were informed during the raid that they were under investigation for violating national unity under Article 19.9.1 of the Criminal Code. The article states, “Anyone who organizes acts that incite hostility, discord, separatism, discrimination, violence, restricts rights, or establishes privileges among people based on their race, ethnicity, language, skin color, religious beliefs, or ideology shall be punished with imprisonment for a term of five to twelve years. If this crime is committed by an organized criminal group, it will be punished with imprisonment for a term of twelve to twenty years.”
The Cyber Crimes Division of the Criminal Police Service has accused Noorog of “spreading false information on social media” through a Facebook page named Noorog. This investigation was reportedly initiated based on a complaint submitted via a fake address in a chat message, which claimed that Noorog’s content had caused individuals to consider suicide.Despite these allegations, the National Police Agency has refused to provide additional information regarding the case.
Meanwhile, the Noorog team held a press briefing on March 18. Noorog Media, operating under the slogan “Here is valuable, meaningful and useful content”, had recently completed a documentary film titled “18 Days”. The documentary aimed to invest in the political education of citizens by showcasing real events from the election, which was scheduled from June 10 to 28, 2024. The film followed five different characters over 18 days of the election campaign, capturing the political process from their perspectives.
O.Ulamsaikhan, founder of Noorog Creative Studio, revealed that two 14-terabyte hard drives containing the primary footage of the documentary were among the items seized during the raid. He voiced his concerns over the severity of the case, stating, “There is a history of cooperation between all the media groups in Mongolia, including MCS and APU, and taking pictures of them. So what are you trying to say? If we say cooperation, we did it. It was a business partnership. I see this process as an act of intimidation. I was surprised that a very strong criminal case was filed based on the complaint that came in. But we are not afraid. We did not intentionally attack or slander.”
“We talked about making a film, and soon this happened. The team called Noorog is a new young team. In the 18 days of the election, we followed six different characters in six regions. We followed ordinary citizens who were not party members. We showed the propaganda and the process that was coming to six people. We did it to show how elections are conducted in Mongolia.”
Lawyer B.Narantsetseg criticized the handling of the case, arguing that the application of Article 19.9 of the Criminal Code was unjustified. She noted that while previous cases of this nature were based on complaints from high-ranking officials, this one was initiated based on a citizen’s complaint, raising concerns about procedural fairness. P.Erkhembayar, another legal representative, claimed that investigators attempted to pressure the Noorog team into signing a non-disclosure agreement despite the absence of an official case.
Moreover, the State Prosecutor’s Office issued an official statement regarding the raid, clarifying the legal proceedings surrounding the case. It stated that after reviewing the investigator’s proposal to arrest the named citizens without a court order, the prosecutor determined that the legal grounds for detention had not been established and therefore refused the request for immediate arrest.
In response to these developments, the Press Institute and the Globe International Center issued statements condemning the actions taken against Noorog. They strongly opposed the intimidation, harassment and suppression of individuals and organizations exercising their rights to freedom of speech, expression and publication in Mongolia. The statement emphasized that the detention of the Noorog team members and the confiscation of their work equipment constitute serious violations of Mongolia’s international human rights obligations, specifically Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Article 16 of the Mongolian Constitution, both of which protect the right to freedom of expression and publication. The organizations urged civil society, media institutions and international human rights organizations to closely monitor the situation in Mongolia and to remain vigilant in safeguarding freedom of expression.
The Nest Center, Center for Journalism Innovation and Development, has issued a statement strongly condemning the harassment of independent media organizations. It stated, "Noorog, a young editorial office, operates with professionalism, adhering to journalistic ethics and fulfilling its important role as the fourth estate in serving the public interest. We express our deep regret over the misuse of national unity to undermine press freedom. We firmly stand against this in the democratic Mongolia that respects human rights. In line with the UN Human Rights Committee's General Comment No. 34 on Freedom of Opinion and Expression, we stress that criminalizing media organizations, publishers, and journalists for merely criticizing the government, its policies, or political systems is not a legitimate or necessary restriction on freedom of expression."
"The practice of conducting interrogations outside of working hours is an unacceptable form of harassment and punitive action against the media. We officially express our opposition to such actions, which have unfortunately become increasingly common in Mongolia. We call for an end to these practices and for the protection of independent journalism in Mongolia," they wrote.
Additionally, Members of Parliament S.Erdenebold and S.Tsenguun addressed journalists regarding the detention and investigation. MP S.Erdenebold stated that young media professionals have the right to provide their production services to any business entity and questioned whether thorough checks had been conducted before legal action was taken. He further revealed that he had met with officials from the investigation office to seek clarification on the matter and learned that the investigation was proceeding with the approval of the Prosecutor’s Office. S.Tsenguun emphasized that the Human Rights Subcommittee will formally establish a working group to investigate the case, stating that this is not an isolated incident but part of a broader trend affecting democratic values in Mongolia. She warned that the hard-won democratic principles developed over the past 30 years are now under attack.
