Officials: More Mongolians being jailed abroad

Officials say the number of Mongolian citizens incarcerated abroad is growing. A report says 50 Mongolians were jailed abroad in 2008 for human trafficking. Others have been charged with smuggling or drug crimes. Currently more than 20 Mongolians are incarcerated in China alone. Our correspondent spoke with D. Gankhuyag, the Director of Consular Affairs for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

– How many countries does Mongolia have agreements with for the exchange of prisoners?

– Mongolia has agreements with Canada, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Russia, and China. The agreement with China was only recently completed. So we are taking steps. Mongolia is now in discussions with the European Union on the exchange of prisoners.

– How many convicts have been returned under the agreements?

– There are no Mongolians jailed in Canada or Kazakhstan. Three Mongolians who were jailed in China have been returned home. Now we are trying to get back two other people. This is a result of difficult negotiations that lasted many years. We delivered the relative documents to China, but they kept postponing signing them. If we reach an agreement with the EU, it will be possible to exchange prisoners with European countries.

– How many Mongolians are currently jailed in China?

– More than 20 Mongolians are jailed in China. We are discussing an exchange for those people. Four Chinese were jailed in Mongolia, but three of them have been released for legal reasons and the fourth was sent home for medical reasons.

– What crimes are most Mongolian jailed abroad charged with?

– Many have been charged with smuggling. More than ten people have been charged with drug offenses. Most have been sentenced to between two and 15 years.