Khurts’s counsel costs USD150 per hour

An
American lawyer registered to plead at British courts has been hired to
defend B.Khurts, Chief of Administration
at the National Security Council, who was arrested in London on September 17
for violating human rights and has appeared in court three times since. The next
hearing of his case will be on November 15 when he will have benefit of a
defense counsel.

The lawyer has been chosen on the recommendation
of the Mongolian Embassy in London which was impressed by his experience in
cases related to diplomatic immunity. Khurts, who is charged with abducting a
Mongolian citizen in France in 2003, held a diplomatic passport when he was
arrested at Heathrow last month. The lawyer charges USD150 per hour of work. The
Embassy is asking him to charge less. It is likely that he will be from the
Foreign Ministry fund of MNT100 million which is used to help Mongolian
citizens needing help in a foreign
country.

The Government has set up a working group to provide all assistance to Khurts.
It includes D.Gankhuyag, Chief of the Consular Section at the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, lawyers and legal experts. It has listed the documents to be
sent to the lawyer.