The report is aimed at providing an overview of media freedom in Mongolia by analyzing media environment for the Mongolian journalists to exercise their professional rights in order to fulfill their duties and responsibilities to serve the public and challenges they face in it.

In 2015, Mongolia is in the 60th place out of 180 world countries and it is still the country with notable problems of press freedom. Mongolia still remains as a country with partial press freedom in accordance with the Freedom House.

The report notes some changes in the Media Law of the country in 2015, particularly the Parliament enacted the Law on Mongolian Language and the Law on Culture. In 2015 the significant changes were made in the Criminal Law and Election Law.

Election Law provides ensuring public participation in the monitoring the election coverage of the broadcast media by a provision to involve ”professional NGOs”. However, it is regretful that regulatory body will cooperate with “police and election organization” in monitoring. Moreover, the operation of the media outlets will be terminated or stopped in the case of violations of the rules, based on the conclusion of the government body and the same sanctions applies, if “media, the media, online space and messages used”.

On 4 April 2015, the Parliament passed the new Criminal Law and it repealed the previous libel and insult, and it will be a part of the Administrative Code which was enacted the same day. These laws will be effective from September 1, 2016. However, provision on the libel and false information still remain in the Article 14.8.1 of the Criminal Law imposes penalties of the fine and imprisonment of one month to one year will be imposed “in case, if reputations of the political parties, coalitions and candidates damaged and false information distributed”, In 2015, the Mongolian courts heard a total of 14 criminal defamation cases and five of the cases are against media. It looks a few and the number decreased by four. In 2014-2015, the courts heard 14 criminal cases and if it is compared, for example, to a total of 10 criminal cases heard by the courts in three years of 2011-2013, the number is constantly increasing.

On May 5, 2015, Mongolia went through UPR review and 8 countries issued the recommendations on the freedoms of opinion and expression. The recommendations include to harmonize the national Freedom of expression legislation with the international standards, provide the legal protection of the journalistic confidential sources and whistle blowers, decriminalize defamation, ensure independence of the regulatory body and ensure safety of the journalists and human rights activists in exercising their duties.

It is concerned that number of violations of the professional rights of journalists has increased. Globe International Center has registered 78 cases of violations connected to 42 media outlets. 80 percent of the violations are registered in Ulaanbaatar and 20 percent in the provinces. 70 percent of the violators are politicians, high authorities and public officials.

The first part of the present report introduces you with free expression legal framework, particularly guarantees and restrictions, and we highlight free expression violations in 2015.