Dear Friends
We are forwarding an urgent alert from the Liberty Center to you regarding MP Mr. Gundalai, who was arrested on his way to a democracy conference in Ulaanbarrtar, Mongolia. He was arrested at the airport without any parliamentary decision on lifting Mr. Gundalai’s immunity.
Urgent Appeals Desk
Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
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Urgent Alert- Urgent Alert-Urgent Alert
by Oyungerel Ts, Liberty Center, an NGO
Date: July 24, 2003 3.30p.m.
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
MONGOLIA: MP Mr. Gundalai Arrested On His Way To Democracy Conference
Today around 2 p.m. at the Ulaanbaatar airport, a group of special force of 3 from Police has used force against Mr. Gundalai, 40, MP in order to prevent him to fly to Seoul. Police force managed to forcefully pull Gundalai out of the airplane, then tried to forcefully bring him to the State General Investigation Office on the eyes of dozens journalists and human rights activists. After his was forcefully taken from airplane, Mr. Gundalai arrived at the Democratic Central Office building and attempted to enter the Office. Suddenly, around 10 young men including a group of police who followed Gundalai from airport and additional special group servants used brutal force against Gundalai and his bodyguard Tserennadmid at the Democratic Party door. Mr. Tserennadmid, 35, remained senseless after he was beaten onto his head and Gundalai was taken to police car which disappeared to somewhere. It become known later that Police brought him to Gants Hudag detention center as a ‘suspect’. The case opened against Gundalai is unclear by now and police group denied telling their names and showing any decision on using force against the MP.
There was no parliamentary decision on lifting Mr. Gundalai’s immunity. Mr. Gundalai was planning to chair a session on Democracy and Human rights at the Asian democracy conference to be held in Singapore in two days. He was heading to Seoul along with his wife Mrs. Azzaya to spend a day in Korea.
Mr. Gundalai is the most outspoken opposition MP in the current parliament and the vice-chairman of the Democratic Party of Mongolia.
By 10 p.m. of today Mr. Gundalai is in the detention center “Gants Hudag” and his attorney Oyuntsetseg met him around 7 p.m. We are making investigation why Gundalai was arrested and why it had happened without parliamentary decision to touch his immunity. More information will follow tomorrow. Keep visiting Liberty Center’s website.
Please follow our messages and alerts or call 976-99175324 for urgent information. Liberty center’s alert on Mr. Gundalai’s struggle for right to speak is available on our website’s ALERT page. To see photo reportage on how they used force against Mr. Gundalai, also visit our web site www.libertycenter.org.mn
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
