Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has strongly condemned the recent raid on the newsroom of independent digital media outlet ‘Noorog’, denouncing it as a blatant attack on press freedom and source confidentiality. The operation, carried out on 17 March 2025 in Ulaanbaatar, saw police confiscate professional equipment and interrogate nearly the entire editorial team overnight.
Eight staff members of Noorog were detained and questioned from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. following accusations that the outlet had “undermined national unity” — a charge punishable by up to twelve years in prison under Mongolian law. Authorities later changed the accusations several times, citing offenses such as “illegal online gambling activities,” “spreading false information,” and “causing the suicide of others.” All but one charge have since been dropped.
The team at Noorog believes the raid is linked to their forthcoming documentary exploring Mongolia’s 2024 parliamentary elections. The film reportedly follows six citizens during the campaign period, examining how political parties influenced voters — a topic the outlet suggests may have triggered government scrutiny.
“This search, carried out under an obviously false pretext, is intolerable and a serious attack on source confidentiality and press freedom,” said Cédric Alviani, Director of RSF Asia-Pacific. “We call on the Mongolian authorities to abandon the abusive proceedings brought against Noorog’s team, and on the country’s lawmakers to strengthen the right to protect the confidentiality of journalists’ sources within the framework of the press freedom law currently being debated in Parliament.”
Founded in 2022, Noorog has gained a growing following through its investigative reporting and social media content, often critical of government narratives. In one of its most recent reports, the outlet challenged the government’s claims of success in combating corruption, presenting statistical data to contradict official statements.
The incident is part of a broader, troubling decline in Mongolia’s press freedom. The country has dropped 36 places in the RSF World Press Freedom Index since 2020 and now ranks 109th out of 180 nations. The press environment is classified as “difficult,” due to abusive criminal proceedings against journalists and the concentration of media ownership among political and economic elites.
Other high-profile cases underscore the fragile state of press freedom in Mongolia. Tac.mn editor-in-chief Bayarmaa Ayurzana faces up to eight years in prison for investigating alleged embezzlement involving a Deputy Prime Minister. Meanwhile, journalist Unurtsetseg Naran was recently pardoned after a secretive closed-door trial, raising concerns over judicial transparency and due process.
In response, RSF has submitted formal recommendations to the Mongolian government, urging reforms that would protect journalists and uphold media independence as the country prepares to update its press freedom legislation.
