Lawyer and human rights defender, Lodoisambuu Sanjaasuren, aged 60,  has been convicted of exposing state secrets because he defended a man who had been kidnapped by Mongolian intelligence officers and helped to publicise allegations that his client had been tortured. . He has recently appealed for a pardon from the President but is yet to receive a response. Amnesty International considers him to be a prisoner of conscience and a human rights defender, as he was arrested simply for protecting the rights of his client.

Lodoisambuu Sanjaasuren is being held in a "restricted prison” outside the city of Ulaanbaatar, Bayanzurkh District. He is suffering from a serious heart condition and is not receiving proper medical attention in prison. He was convicted of the crime of exposing state secrets in November 2004 and sentenced to 18 months imprisonment.

 In April 2005, Lodoisambuu Sanjaasuren lost an appeal against his conviction before the Supreme Court of Mongolia.

Recently Lodoisambuu Sanjaasuren gave a newspaper interview from prison. In response to this incident prison authorities reportedly threatened to move him to a more crowded cell where he would face worse conditions.

A reliable source said that Lodoisambuu Sanjaasuren is now “in a critical condition due to his weak heart. Sometimes his heart slows down to near failure. He does not receive any special medical treatment apart from basic medication.”

On 17 June, Amnesty International received a letter from the Embassy of Mongolia in London in response to appeals sent by members of the UA network.
The Embassy states that they had been informed by the Ministry of Justice and Home Affairs and the General Authority for Implementing Court Decisions that "adequate medical care and treatment are [being] given to" Lodoisambuu. However, his family has told Amnesty International that he has only been able to see his doctor twice since he was detained, in November 2004 and March 2005. On both occasions Lodoisambuu Sanjaasuren paid for the cost of his consultation and treatment. His family say that since 3 March, he has been repeatedly denied access to his doctor and his heart condition is now "critical".

Lodoisambuu Sanjaasuren defended Enkhbat Damiran, who was kidnapped from France by Mongolian intelligence officers on 15 May 2003. He was a suspect in the murder of Zorig Sanjasuuren, a prominent opposition politician who was stabbed to death in his home in 1998 by unknown assassins.

After his abduction, Enkhbat Damiran was taken back to Mongolia and held incommunicado at the General Intelligence Agency (GIA) headquarters in Ulaanbaatar for several days. He says intelligence officers severely tortured him to try to force him to confess to the murder.

They also allegedly tried to force him to become an informer. Enkhbat Damiran had no known links to Zorig Sanjasuuren and the Mongolian authorities have not produced any evidence to link him to the murder.

Lodoisambuu Sanjaasuren helped Enkhbat Damiran to speak on television outlining the details of his kidnap and torture by the General Intelligence Agency (GIA). The authorities responded by convicting both men of revealing state secrets and sentenced both to imprisonment in October 2004.

Lodoisambuu Sanjaasuren was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment and Enkhbat Damiran was sentenced to 3 years.

 RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible, in English or your own language:

- stating that Amnesty International considers Lodoisambuu Sanjaasuren to be a prisoner of conscience who was arrested carrying out his legitimate work as a lawyer and human rights defender;

- expressing concern for his health and asking the authorities to immediately provide him with adequate medical care;

- urging the authorities to release Lodoisambuu Sanjaasuren immediately and unconditionally.

 APPEALS TO:

Presidential elections take place on May 22nd. Please omit the President’s name if writing after this date.

President of Mongolia

President Nambariin Enkhbayar

Government House

Ulaanbaatar-12

MONGOLIA

Fax: 00 976 11 311121

Email: webmaster@presi.pmis.gov.mn

Salutation: Your Excellency

Mr Elberg Dorj TS

Prime Minister of Mongolia

Government House

Ulaanbaatar-12

MONGOLIA

Fax: 00 976 11 328329

Salutation: Your Excellency

COPIES TO:

Mr Nyamdorj Ts.

Minister of Justice and Internal Affairs

Huldaldaani Gudamj-61A

Ulaanbaatar-46

MONGOLIA

Fax: 00 976 11 325225

The Ambassador of Mongolia

HE Mr Dalrain Davaasambuu

Embassy of Mongolia

7 Kensington Court

London W8 5DL

UNITED KINGDOM

Telephone: 00 44 207 937 0150

Email: office@embassyofmongolia.co.uk

Please send letters of support to Lodoisambuu Sanjaasuren at the following address:

Lodoisambuu Sanjaasuren

Prison 425

Amgalan City

Bayanzurkh district

MONGOLIA

PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY.

Amnesty International ; DOCUMENT PUBLIC AI Index:
ASA 30/002/2005
UA: MONGOLIA

19 May 2005

UA 128 /05 23 June 2005