Today (3 March), a Mongolian court decided to release former Prime Minister J.Erdenebat and others, namely, B.Otgonbaatar and D.Tuvshinjargal from prison at the request of their lawyers.

The case relating to former MP J.Erdenebat and five others was returned for prosecution on 15 January under a decision from the Mongolian High Court. As a result, the judge decided to suspend 6.6 years of the the politician’s prison sentence. However, J.Erdenebat was to remain in detention.

Previously, in July, a Mongolian court had sentenced former Prime Minister J.Erdenebat to six years in prison for the abuse of power – connected with the acquisition of land in the mineral-rich South Gobi Province – and banned him from holding government office for six years.

All of this changed at 10 am this morning, when the Baynazurkh Criminal Court of the Chingeltei and Sukhbaatar Districts of Ulaanbaatar decided to release the former politician and to allow him to hold public office again.

J.Erdenebat from the ruling Mongolian People’s Party won a seat in the State Great Khural for a constituency in the Selenge Province in the parliamentary election, which took place on 24 June 2020, while he was still in detention.

Now J.Erdenebat will take an oath at spring session of parliament which is expected to open on 15 March.