Nearly 100 students of "Independent Azerbaijan" university intend to abandon their citizenship

The deadline fixed by the hunger strikers at the "Independent Azerbaijan" university to the Ministry of Education for resolving the issue of restoring their status of students expires today.

Rashid Gadjily, the students' lawyer, has informed the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that the university students have already been on hunger strike for 20 days with a demand for their right to education to be restored. However, neither the Ministry of Education leadership nor the management of the "Independent Azerbaijan" university are willing to comply with their legitimate demand. According to the lawyer, if their demand is not complied with the students threaten to abandon their citizenship. R. Gadjily has also noted that they have prepared documents for filing a law suit against the Ministry of Education and the university management.

According to Elnur Mamedov, student activist, unless the Ministry of Education responds today to the demand of the hunger strikers, they will abandon their citizenship of Azerbaijan and apply to embassies and international organizations asking them to create conditions for study in foreign countries. He has noted that the reason for such a step is the futility of their appeals to the Ministry of Education. He claims that the number of students on hunger strike is about 40, while 100 persons have decided to abandon their citizenship. Despite the fact that the deadline fixed by the students to the Ministry of Education has expired, no changes in its approach has been noted. Bairam Guseinzade, head of the ME press service, responds that "the Ministry of Education will not comply with the students' demand as many of them attend classes illegally. Their problem now is being considered by court. The Ministry decision will depend on the court ruling."

Commenting on the Ministry of Education approach, E. Mamedov notes that ME only imitates the solution of the problem and misleads the public when it claims the necessity of the court ruling.

For reference, a group of students from the private university "Independent Azerbaijan" has been on hunger strike since the beginning of June demanding that conditions should be provided for continuing their education and getting diplomas.