Journalists whose rights have been violated could obtain legal advice free of charge. It was revealed at a press conference held on September 22 by Globe International, non-government organization. According to the NGO, the organization has been implementing a project on “Monitoring Free Expression Violation and Supporting the Rights of Independent Media” with financial support from London’s Open Society Institute and in partnership with Canadian-based International Freedom of Expression eXchange (IFEX) Clearing House.

Journalists could inform the rights violation to the project’s regional monitors or they may write to the website www.monitoring.mn for answers if they do not have time, said Kh.Naranjargal, head of the NGO.

According to the Globe’s web editor G.Narangarav, the NGO has been sending notification letters about concerned laws and legislation to those, officials, individuals who violated journalists rights and publishing media release on local and national newspapers. As a result of this, local officials, who behaved unpleasant with journalists before, have been changing their attitudes toward journalists and also IFJ sent a note to authorities of the country.

It has been received 28 news on violation of the journalist rights but only half of them or 11 alerts were distributed through international network because some journalists don’t know their rights, scare off probable threats or they find troublesome to be called in police or court or there are insufficient evidences of the some news.

For example, journalist Bold, Daily newspaper was detained almost 2 hours but he said it was not a serious violation. In addition, journalist ‘N’ of Orkhon aimag, was beaten and his camera was taken over but he refused to inform it because of scare off the probable threats.

Last April, journalists of MM agency of MNPRTV had broken their camera by demonstrators. They were taking footage of the civil society movements hiring students for demonstration. When it is enquired from a police department whether the violence investigated, but we revealed the journalist themselves had not informed about it.

Journalists are disclosing their sources when they got under any pressure. If the journalists disclose their sources who will trust them, noted Kh.Naranjargal.

Source: Globe International NGO