Exposing government corruption puts target on lauded investigative journalist’s back. WPF demands conviction be overturned

Location: Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar
Date: July 19, 2024

Unurtsetseg Naran has been unjustly sentenced to four years and nine months behind bars. Known for her investigative reporting, Naran has faced years of harassment and now stands convicted on multiple charges, including spreading false information and money laundering, all of which she denies. She plans to appeal the verdict. Her work uncovering corruption and abuses within state institutions has evidently made her a target. This unjust verdict conveys that critical reporting on powerful figures can have severe consequences. Women Press Freedom strongly denounces her conviction and sentencing and urges the court to immediately overturn its decision and allow her to report without persecution.

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On July 19, 2024, Unurtsetseg Naran , editor-in-chief of Zarig.mn, revealed that a court in the capital Ulaanbaatar had sentenced her to four years and nine months of prison time.

“This is repression,” the journalist wrote in a Facebook post.

In a closed-door trial, the court convicted Naran of spreading false information, tax evasion, money laundering, revealing personal secrets, and illegally acquiring state secrets. Naran, who denies all charges, intends to appeal the court’s decision.

Naran has had a respectable and impressive career in investigative journalism. Her reporting exposed corruption at the Development Bank of Mongolia, uncovered sexual abuse in a Buddhist boarding school, and violence in the military.

The journalist was first arrested in December 2023, following a Facebook post criticizing a prolonged court hearing. After almost three months in detention, she was released under house arrest in February 2024 pending trial.

Naran’s sentencing has caused widespread concern among Mongolian journalists. Anand Tumurtogoo, a freelance journalist in Ulaanbaatar, described the event as a "dark day in Mongolia’s media sector."

The legal environment in Mongolia poses rising risks to journalists. Laws against spreading false information and illegally acquiring state secrets can be used to suppress investigative journalism and free speech, as demonstrated by Naran’s case. In May 2024 another journalist, Bayarmaa Ayurzana, editor-in-chief of Tac.mn, was detained and charged with threatening to release damaging information about a government official. Bayarmaa's investigative reporting on alleged embezzlement put her at risk. If convicted, she could face up to eight years behind bars.

Defamation cases are also frequently used to retaliate against journalists in the country. In 2019, Unurtsetseg faced 12 defamation complaints, and in 2020, she faced four more, all related to her reporting on politicians.

Women Press Freedom stands with Unurtsetseg Naran and all journalists in Mongolia facing persecution. The Mongolian government must abolish restrictive laws and uphold the right to a free press. We are appalled by the court’s decision to convict and sentence the renowned investigative journalist. We urge the court to rectify this unjust decision upon appeal and overturn Unurtsetseg Naran’s conviction. 

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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